Schools level tackle ban call by English university academics hasn't gone down well online
Recent calls made by England university academics for schools to adopt a tackle ban in rugby has already encountered opposition online. Experts from the University of Newcastle, Winchester and Oxford Brookes have written to the UK’s chief medical officers asking to ban tackling in the school environment as rugby faces a potential dementia crisis.
An ever-increasing number of former professional players are taking legal action against the sport’s authorities over the brain damage they suffered over their careers, which has caused early-onset dementia and potential Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
Eddie Jones recently proposed outlawing tackling above waist height at school level to limit head injuries, as there is an urgent need for action to be taken. This suggestion by university academics is just another way to address the problem, but it has not proven to be too popular amongst fans.
Rugby is, of course, largely recognised as a contact sport, and many have said that it would kill off the interest in the game if tackling is banned.
But the main contention is deeper than people just wanting to preserve the identity of rugby. It has been suggested tackling would actually have an adverse effect in the long run, as children would not be taught the proper tackling technique for later life.
"I used to judge how well I had played based on how fuzzy-headed I felt at the end of a game" ?https://t.co/pTnU7N7HYR
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 18, 2020
This could consequently create more injuries when adults. The emphasis is therefore for school children to be taught correct tackle technique. Any opposition like this can sometimes be hastily disregarded as obstinately standing in the face of science, but the responses from many fans seem to be drawn from their own experiences growing up and playing rugby.
The burgeoning weight and power of players in the professional game is a leading cause of these brain injuries, but it is being argued online that that isn’t necessarily a problem at school level. Professional rugby, after all, is only a quarter of a century old, while rugby has been played at schools for over 100 years.
While some have also dismissed this by saying you do not have to play rugby if you don’t want to, people should not be deprived of the game’s aspects and benefits other than the contact side of it. Further, the request is only that tackling is banned in the school environment, meaning children have a choice outside of school.
Many would agree that action must be taken and this is just one potential solution to the current problem. Weight classes are another approach that has been taken around the world to make the game safer. But with any suggestion like this, there are inevitably some queries.
How about a campaign to teach youngsters how to tackle properly. The art of tackling is easier to teach when young before bad habits are formed.
It is time for world rugby’s sanctions on illegal tackling / ruck entry to become harsher.— Ifortitsfwl (@ifortitsffwl) December 18, 2020
I know I’m quite old, but when I played rugby in school we were always taught to tackle around the waist and slide down the legs. Tackling above the waist was absolutely forbidden. I recall a PE teacher berating a lad saying ‘we’re not playing American football.’
What changed?
— John Locke (@JohnLoc73871661) December 18, 2020
How or when do you learn to tackle correctly? After school when everyone is 100Kg?
— Bangkokrugby (@BenjaminJRawson) December 18, 2020
Can’t see schools rugby being the issue. It’s the professional players who are big and travelling at speed doing it in training and games every day. You can’t have 18 year old who’s never tacked suddenly get out against adults. The injury risk would be huge. Much worse
— shockingbuzz (@rosshamptonpon1) December 18, 2020
https://twitter.com/bunter888/status/1339849339628376064?s=20
Utterly ridiculous. The benefits of playing rugby (physical, mental, development of character) far outweigh the incredibly small chance of serious injury.
As for CTE type injuries.. we have played it for 150 years and there’s no evidence of this based on playing rugby at school— Joe D B (@JoeBrace7) December 18, 2020
Stopping contact at junior level would destroy the game. From my experience, junior level rugby is safely coached & reffed. If you ask teenage players to just play touch, most will walk away. That would be far more damaging in my view to young people, than contact rugby.
— Ian Titherington (@ianapharri) December 18, 2020
Human race is based on risk v reward. The rest of life is being ruined leave sport alone. A well coached game of full contact rugby is a lot safer than many other activities. Educate of the risks, fund proper coach development and let the kids play!
— Ben Rowe (@BMRowe81) December 18, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
In the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
5 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
6 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
5 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
6 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
6 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
18 Go to comments