Sports Letters: Turn gain into pain

Sir: Christopher Mann (Sports Letters, 2 March) tells us that some rugby players deliberately incur penalties of three points to prevent their opponents scoring five or seven. The remedy for this is to change the rule which governs the restart after a penalty kick at goal. The game should be restarted after the kick by scrummaging at the point where the offence occurred, with the put-in going to the non-offending team.

No longer would the offenders gain 40 or 70 yards (as a 'reward for foul play') by kicking out from their 22 or the centre spot. Instead, the non-offending team would remain close to their opponent's try- line, and retain a good chance of scoring a try.

Yours,

REVEREND D FOSBUARY

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk