England's Test match against France in Perpignan on Saturday week will be played without scrums, the International Rugby League (IRL) has ruled.

Scrums were scrapped when Super League was restarted in August 2020 in order to reduce the number of close contacts during matches at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

They remained absent when the 2021 season began in March and the ruling was extended by the Rugby Football League (RFL) to matches in the Championship and League 1.

It was intended to bring scrums back before the end of the season, particularly in time for the 2021 World Cup with the NRL still using scrums, but it was decided in August to continue without them in the English domestic competitions due to lingering safety concerns.

Following a request from the RFL and the Federation Francaise de Rugby a XIII the IRL decided on Tuesday to play without scrums for the Test match in Perpignan.

The Test, to be played on October 23rd, was arranged following the postponement of the World Cup by 12 months.