'I think radical action is needed': Ex-England international throws support behind RFU rule
The RFU’s bombshell decision to introduce waist-high or below tackling into the amateur game has caused widespread backlash with over 65,000 participants signing a petition for a reversal.
A number of high profile ex and current players and coaches have also come out in direct opposition or with concerns with the changes, including Ireland captain and coach Johnny Sexton and Andy Farrell.
But the RFU’s decision has found a supporter in former England international Ugo Monye, who backed the ‘radical’ move on the BBC Rugby Union weekly podcast with Sara Orchard, Chris Jones and Harlequins scrumhalf Danny Care.
“I’m not surprised by the overwhelming emotion and amount of noise that has been created around it,” Monye told the panel.
“65,000 people have signed a petition to reverse this decision so far. I think it is the way the change was thrust upon the community and I think the way that was handled by the RFU paints quite a poor picture for the communications people working on this.
“It shouldn’t come out like that. I think the RFU absolutely understand that and if they don’t then you’ve only got to go onto Twitter and have a look at the complaints that have been lodged.”
Monye believed that there wasn’t enough data at the community level to assume that the professional game has a bigger concussion issue, stating that no return to play protocols could see concussed players back on the field too early.
“There are gaps of truth in all of it,” he said.
“We’ve come to the conclusion that it is a bigger problem in the elite game than the community game. How? Can anyone prove that?
“You don’t take data from the community game on concussion. There will be more players returning back to playing prematurely from suspected concussions than the elite game.
“My point is around data, we have no data on the community game from level three and below.
“I’m in the minority here based on what I’ve seen online, I’m in favour of it.
“I totally understand the emotional response to it, I totally get it. There is so much more information that is needed to make this a success.
“I think you are absolutely right in calling it radical, but I think radical action is needed when we have issues in our game.
“If the number one priority for our game, whether it is governance or people who run the game is safety, then we need to have a safer game.
“People are stepping away from the game due to Covid and the habits which you’ve mentioned, but the noise for the last three years has been about concussion and finally I think we are doing something radical to hopefully change behaviour.”
England international and Harlequins scrumhalf Danny Care, who just made his 350th appearance for the club against the Sharks in the Champions Cup, who was willing to give the idea some thought but his personal view was it would lead to more concussions.
Care was concerned for tacklers with a low head position aiming for the waist area where knees and hips can create dangerous contact.
“It is a radical decision, like you say, a bolt from the blue, no one really could have called it and the reaction is massive,” Care said.
“We’ve even seen the England captain Ben Stokes tweet about it. When you get someone like him tweeting about it, it’s big news. It’s not just rugby news, it’s huge news.
“It’s massive for the game. I will counter this by saying, should we not just give it a bit of time?
“Obviously they are doing it for a reason. Is the reason right? My opinion is I feel you are going to have a lot more head injuries.
“I see the size of these lads running in and if you are making people have to tackle low, I don’t know the stats and won’t profess to know the stats, but you are going to see a lot more people getting concussed and knocked out which is the opposite of what we want in this game.”
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments