Following on from comments in another thread, I wonder when/why they stopped having them because IIRC when we first went to summer rugby I'm sure it was decided to have them 'when necessary' in games. did they stop because it's just got a bit cooler and they've forgotten that it is allowed?

To be fair players get a drink after a try...



I understand that some games there are not many tries, but other games they can get a drink every 5/10 minutes

i think they should allow a drinks break if there hasn't been a try-some matches its can be half an hour before a try. Players push themselves enough without having to play in hot weather and dehydrate.

I think what they decided to do was to change the rules on 'water' carriers, so that in most circumstances, there was no danger of a player who needed fluid not being able to get it.



I wouldn't rule out ever having a match with formal drinks breaks again, as if there was some extreme weather they might do it, but I'd assume the water carrier arrangements must be working well, or else we'd hear the coaches up in arms (and rightly) if they felt the rules were such that they couldn't keep their players hydrated enough.



I'm no expert, but on the occasion I recall a formal break I recall it looked more like a cooldown break, with players pouring water over themselves to reduce temperature, than "drinks".



It isn't a good idea to down a large amount of fluid in one go during the game anyway; it works much better to have just a mouthful or so but do it frequently.

Steve Ganson gave a water break during the last world cup, and I saw him give one in a match at the Stoop. I was expecting to see them on Sunday, particularly during the Stains Wigan game when the players needed top cool off oin more ways than one.

I guess I expected it all weekend, with it being the hottest weekend of the year by some way. It might be something that gets discussed by the rfl for future games for the rest of the season, or it may not.

I saw the referee of some Wendyball game have drinks break in the proceedings. Might have been York v Luton or the Hudders/Blades game. Either way fair play to the ref.

it definitely happened in the hudds game.

With regard to the dehydration comments made by Mick Potter:



Obviously, every person all the time they are taking exercise is dehydrating and in those conditions players would sweat a bucketload during the course of a match, but that would hardly come as a surprise to any professional associated with the clubs. I presume nobody has suggested they didn't realise it would be hot and sunny.



I have made the point already that to keep hydrated players have to drink little, and often. It isn't as if a player would, or should, take a litre of water on board in a drinks break. The issue being raised by Potter is one of hydration, and that's an 80 minute issue. And I said that I was happy to rely on the judgment of the professionals as to water carriers etc and that presumably the clubs were happy with the arrangements otherwise there'd have been complaints. Have there been complaints? None that I know of.



If Potter is now saying, after the event, that he wasn't happy with the hydration then I'd ask why we didn't send more water carriers on more often. He also said that Leeds players were dropping down and waiting for water to come. Did they? I didn't notice it.



In our game against Leeds there were 11 tries, so that's on average one stoppage every 7 minutes; plus further breaks in play; plus half time; plus substitutions; that is not taking into account water carriers during live play (as Potter is saying Leeds were doing).



I have no issue at all with drinks breaks or any other measure if it is in the interests of the players but would query why no hydration issue had been raised, by anybody from any club, either before during or after the weekend, until this one, if it was seen as an issue?

As I said in the Purtell thread Potter is not medically qualified so I can't see how he can say dehydration was linked to or had any influence at all on Purtell's heart problem. He can have an opinion but is it backed up by evidence?



As for drinks breaks I thought there were enough breaks in the game due to tries for everyone to get a drink. Players also would've been fully hydrated beforehand and again at half time. In another game with fewer stoppages I'd say there was more of a case for drinks breaks.

I think dehydration probably will have been a factor but if it was, then it was not one that a drinks break would have eliminated.

Mick Potter is saying the Leeds players went down and waited for the fluids to come to them. If thats the case it strikes me they were a bit smarter, savvy, street wise call it what you will, than we were. Whose fault is that?