CONFUSION reigns supreme as the International Rugby Board tinkers with the new Stellenbosch laws, leaving referees around the world, including Port Macquarie's outstanding Matt Blackham, juggling a legal jigsaw.

On Saturday, Blackham will referee the high-level challenge game between Randwick and Brisbane premiers, Sunnybank, at Port Macquarie's Regional Sports Stadium, a match to be played under the Stellenbosch laws, otherwise known the Experimental Law Variations (ELVs).

The extraordinary situation currently exists that players in the five games on Port Macquarie's "Day of Rugby" will be refereed under three different sets of laws - under 19, the present official laws and the ELVs.

The ELVs were produced by a panel of experts at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, of which Australia's World Cup- winning coach Rod Macqueen is a member, with several recommendations - not all - being trialled by the IRB with a proposal for their acceptance to be considered later this year.

The Super 14 tournament is being played now under a selection of ELVs.

However, an indication of IRB meddling is that the "hands in the ruck" law remains illegal despite the experiment being an enormous success in the fiercely contested Australian Rugby Championship of last season.

Sunnybank's coach, former top-class Eastwood centre Roy Saunders, will discuss with Randwick's Mark Giacheri which laws their teams will play under in the challenge.

He sees no value in playing under non-operational laws whereas Randwick wishes to play under all of the ELVs.

Earlier this year, Port Macquarie Pirates president, the former Waratah lock, Peter Besseling, called on the IRB to slash the red tape and introduce the ELVs post haste to bring greater speed to the game and enhance its entertainment.

For his sins, he was informed that to play under the ELVs was illegal at country level.

By so doing clubs could find themselves in a financial jungle with players uninsured.