Tackle height lowered in community game by RFU.

[Saintjay]

 

[Saintjay]

Rugby chiefs are to introduce a reduction in tackle height from 1 July 2023 in the community game.

Players will only be allowed to tackle from waist height down, says the Rugby Football Union council.
It has been introduced to improve player safety.

"Evidence from our own research and from around the world clearly shows that lowering the tackle height will reduce head impact exposure," said RFU president Nigel Gillingham.

"[It will also reduce] the risk of concussion."

The community game covers clubs, schools, colleges and universities and the change will impact age-grade and adult levels.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

I am super doubtful that this will get beyond a trial.

It is hard to get data on something that isn't happening yet, and I'm sceptical that having everyone tackling boney hips and knees is going to result in less head knocks for the tackler.

NZRU have it right with chest height imo, I just can't see how this is workable. How do you maul for one? How do you hold a player up or rip a ball?

 

[Which Tyler]

 

[Saintjay]

It doesn't seem like it's a trial and they make no mention of it being one.

The process of developing law variations and the law application guidelines is well underway. It is anticipated that new laws will be in place in the next few weeks. They will come into force from 1 July 2023.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Didn't they already trial something similar a few years ago and have to cancel it because it actually increased the rate of injuries?

 

[Which Tyler]

Didn't they already trial something similar a few years ago and have to cancel it because it actually increased the rate of injuries?

By memory, it reduced the incidence of head on head, but didn't reduce the incidence of head injuries; so not "increased rate of injuries" so much as "didn't change the rate of injuries".
Either way, that was 4-5 years ago now; lots more studies have been conducted, and the data reviewed; including a very similar trial (local law change?) in France

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

So anything above the waist (however that's defined….not quite as obvious as a head) is presumably a pen. At what point does that become yellow - height above waist / danger to head? Etc.

Well intended but we'll have to see how effective it is. Plenty of teething problems and unintended consequences I suspect.

Will it encourage smaller players, at least in some positions? It's got to be harder for a 6'6" guy to make a lower tackle than a 5'10" player. More Back than Lawes.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

That's going to ruin club rugby really. Do they really think this will reducing head injuries.

 

[Which Tyler]

That's going to ruin club rugby really. Do they really think this will reducing head injuries.

A] Why?
B] Yes - or at the very least, they think it's going to stop them getting sued out of existence for not trying hard enough.

 

[Saintjay]

The RFU kept repeating rugby is a game of evasion. Shame they never told Eddie and England's attack over the last three years.

Old Hobbitions vertically challenged XV are going to have a field.

On a serious note I think the 50 or so community players suing the RFU for concussion might have been part of the decision making process. Also falling numbers and participants. The game was once meant to be for all sizes and maybe returning to that is a good thing. It also might encourage little Billy's and Jane's mum and dad to take them to a club.

I've read trials in France reported good results overall with the changes.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

I think waist is way too low. I do like the intention of eliminating the ball and all tackle cause it should free up the game.

 

[Which Tyler]

I've read trials in France reported good results overall with the changes.

So far, I'm failing to find published research on the French trial.

Charlie Morgan in the torygraph reports about a 2/3 reduction in head on head collisions, and about a 1/5 reduction in incidence of concussion; with 3/5 of clubs being happy with the new laws.

I think waist is way too low. I do like the intention of eliminating the ball and all tackle cause it should free up the game.

French also (apparently) resulted in a 50% increase in the number of offloads, and a 1/10 increase in the number of all-passes made, and a 1/3 decrease in the number of kicks per match. Which are predictable side-effects.
We still need to see the unpredictable side-effects, especially in the hands of professional coaches and players - which still won't be touched by the RFU initiative either (but then, they can't really go high enough up the ladder to involve multi-national competitions without World Rugby getting involved)

 

[Rinkadink]

they think it's going to stop them getting sued out of existence for not trying hard enough.

Okay, let's let them go.

Let PRL or a new body take over from the RFU. No more "old farts", everyone is a winner (except the current union)

 

[Which Tyler]

Okay, let's let them go.

Let PRL or a new body take over from the RFU. No more "old farts", everyone is a winner (except the current union)

A] There's more to rugby in this country than PRL
B] I still trust the RFU more than I trust PRL - and I have very little good to say about the RFU

 

[Saintjay]

 

[Saintjay]

Petition already started against changes. The melt down on the egg chasers twitter is pretty spectacular

One of the reasons given. Kids will be pushed into playing other sports where the values are not what they should be.

Sorry but nothing boils my **** more than the superior elitist attitude towards other sports. Maybe parents worry more kids might be @ucked with a brain injury more than they care about values.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Petition already started against changes. The melt down on the egg chasers twitter is pretty spectacular

One of the reasons given. Kids will be pushed into playing other sports where the values are not what they should be.

Sorry but nothing boils my **** more than the superior elitist attitude towards other sports. Maybe parents worry more kids might be @ucked with a brain injury more than they care about values.

Winced when I read that.

I'm very familiar with the club the originator is from. Thriving mini section but only now 2 regular senior sides plus an occasional vets compared with 6 regular senior teams back in the day.

 

[Saintjay]

One of the lads from my club just asked how do you get the jackal off of the ball......answers on a post card.

 

[Rinkadink]

Mauls, scrums, etc?

A] There's more to rugby in this country than PRL
B] I still trust the RFU more than I trust PRL - and I have very little good to say about the RFU

A] Exactly, and the RFU have neglected it.
B] Other way around for me.