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SRU statement: Community game’s lower tackle height law trial
Clubs in Scotland from Tenant’s Premiership and below are set to embrace a new tackle height trial in the 2023/24 season. A statement read: “Following consultation with community rugby stakeholders, Scottish Rugby’s club rugby board have approved a lower tackle height law trial for implementation across the community game from the start of the 2023/24 season.
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“The law trial will see tackle height reduced from shoulder height to below the sternum, also known as belly tackle height in both gender categories of adult and youth rugby at the domestic level. The move follows World Rugby-endorsed trials conducted in France and South Africa where lowering the tackle height has been shown to reduce the number of head-on-head contacts and concussions.
“Lowering the tackle height has also shown positive outcomes regarding increased ball-in-play time and offloading. The changes have also helped to increase player participation in France. The new law trials which have been approved by the CRB are:
- Maximum height tackle in initial contact must be below the sternum;
- The second tackler is still permitted, but the player must make initial contact below the sternum;
- There will be no change to the current laws regarding the ball carrier, but reckless play will be sanctioned (eg: leading with head) where the ball carrier put themselves or the defender at risk of head-on-head contact;
- There will be no change to the current laws regarding a pick-and-go scenario.
“Scottish Rugby’s development department were commissioned by the CRB to conduct a series of online consultation sessions in February with clubs, schools and referee societies. Of those who participated in the consultation, 80 per cent indicated they were in favour of the lower tackle height with only six per cent stating they were content with current laws.
“World Rugby’s executive board last month recommended that national unions participate in an opt-in global trial of lowering the tackle height in their respective community games to a below the sternum level.
“To support the implementation of the law trials, Scottish Rugby have created a Tackle Height Hub on its website to host a suite of video and written resources on the changes, which will be added to throughout the summer.
“In addition to this, the rugby development department will also deliver educational programmes for coaches, players and match officials both in the lead up to, and throughout the season, starting with a series of regional roadshows in May and June.”
Keith Wallace, the Scottish Rugby vice-president and CRB chairman, said: “Player welfare is of utmost importance to the representatives of the CRB, and as custodians for the community game, it is vital that we place safety and enjoyment at the heart of the decisions we make.
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“We strongly believe reducing the tackle height from next season encompasses both of those matters and will create a more positive, and ultimately safer environment, in which our sport is played. It has been encouraging to see the level of engagement which those in our game met the consultation period with, and their receptiveness to the evidence from World Rugby’s endorsed trials.”
Mark Harrington, World Rugby’s chief player welfare and rugby services officer, added: “It is great to see Scottish Rugby joining unions across the world in opting in to the global law trial on lowering the tackle height in the community game.
“Scottish Rugby have provided the model for the rest of the world to follow when it comes to their open engagement and thoughtful consultation with everyone involved in the game in Scotland. We now look forward to the next stage on the journey together, towards a community game that is both as safe as it can be and more enjoyable than ever for everyone who plays the game in Scotland.”
Comments on RugbyPass
“Ou Lem” leading that ‘98 team to a 13-3 victory was the stuff of legend! Especially since we hadn’t beaten them for many years. 10/12/13 combo of Honiball, Pieter Muller & Andre Snyman were tough as nails! I remember screaming my head off in the early hours of the morning & my brother hitting a hole through one of the bedroom doors🤭😂
1 Go to commentsWhatever about 2017 - it's seven years ago and irrelevant now. In 2021 New Zealand needed a numerical advantage for 75% of the game and what was then the largest home advantage crowd in the history of the sport in order to just _barely_ beat England.
3 Go to commentsBoth cards were harsh. Yet again highlighting rugby's inconsistencies and the absurd effect of cards
2 Go to commentsExcellent game management in the last 15 or so minutes to close it out. Aussie got a bit panicky.
2 Go to commentsWhile all this is going on… I’ve been thinking more about the NFL draft system and how to make the commercial elements of the game more sustainable for SA teams who precariously live on the fringe of these developments. SA teams play in Europe now, and are welcome, because there’s a novelty to it. SA certainly doesn’t bring the bucks (like a Japan would to SR) but they bring eyes to it. But if they don’t perform (because they don’t have the money like the big clubs) - it’s easy come easy go… I think there is an element of strategic drafting going on in SA. Where the best players (assets) are sort of distributed amongst the major teams. It’s why we’re seeing Moodie at the Bulls for example and not at his homegrown Western Province. 20-30 years ago, it was all about playing for your province of birth. That has clearly changed in the modern era. Maybe Moodie couldn’t stay in the cape because at the time the Stormers were broke? Or had too many good players to fit him in? Kistchoff’s sabbatical to Ireland and back had financial benefits. Now they can afford him again (I would guess). What I am getting at is - I think SA Rugby needs to have a very strong strategy around how teams equitably share good youth players out of the youth structures. That is SA’s strong point - a good supply of good players out of our schools and varsities. It doesn’t need to be the spectacle we see out of the states, but a system where SA teams and SA rugby decide on where to draft youth, how to fund this and how to make it that it were possible for a team like the Cheetahs (for example) to end up with a team of young stars and win! This is the investment and thinking that needs to be happening at grassroots to sustain the monster meanwhile being created at the top.
70 Go to commentsGreat win - but very poor officiating yet again. Even the Aussie commentators slammed the YC decisions.
1 Go to commentsThe game where it felt like RSA was going to lose the most was the England game in my view. Heart in throat after the Farrell drop-goal…Amazing that the boks overcame 3 times in a row…not likely to be repeated ever in my view Also the boys looked emotionally spent in the England game in the 1st half That said, why was World Rugby and Beaumont allowed to stack the pools in England’s favour? Toughest opponents on that side of the draw were Fiji, Argentina (implode central) and Auckland Girls 2nd team
50 Go to commentsOnline trolls - the only ppl who the Crusaders can beat
2 Go to commentsDefinitely some greater nous by the Walleroos and it will take a bit of time for Jo Yapp to have a lasting affect. Canada are a forward dominated physical team and only the top 3 teams can match them, though not so sure about BF’s forwards. Many of Canada’s forwards earn their living in the English PWR, the breeding ground for the Red Roses amazing strength in depth. The next PAC4 matches will be interesting.
1 Go to commentsIs the Club World Cup and the World League, in combination, going to make or break world Rugby? I personally think it’s too much. Established tournaments and competitions’s significance is going to be drowned out by “the new shiney Mall built just down the street”.
70 Go to commentsLoved Carr‘s post match interview. “No, I don’t think so Jean. But thank you.” Good kid. Louw a certain feature for the Boks this year.
1 Go to comments“Where is the challenge to Leinster, Toulouse and La Rochelle likely to come from in future?” Racing 92 ? This has not been a good season for them this year, but they have a very strong squad……players like Woki, Nyakane, Kolisi, Le Roux, Lauret(these two older now), Le Garrec, Fickou, Tuisova, Arundell. With the addition next year of Owen Farrell, that is some firepower to mount a serious challenge ? And with Stuart Lancaster having a year under his belt, things should go better. Northampton will be a year wiser, more streetwise too. And I would expect one or two of the South African sides to mount a more serious challenge, but that would depend on keeping more players at home
70 Go to commentsWow, have to go but can’t leave without saying these thoughts. And carlos might jump in here, but going through the repercussions I had the thought that sole nation representatives would see this tournament as a huge boon. The prestige alone by provide a huge incentive for nations like Argentina to place a fully international club side into one of these tournaments (namely Super Rugby). I don’t know about the money side but if a team like the Jaguares was on the fence about returning I could see this entry as deciding the deal (at least for make up of that side with its eligibility criteria etc). Same goes for Fiji, and the Drua, if there can be found money to invest in bringing more internationals into the side. It’s great work from those involved in European rugby to sacrifice their finals, or more accurately, to open there finals upto 8 other world teams. It creates a great niche and can be used by other parties to add further improvements to the game. Huge change from the way things in the past have stalled. I did not even know that about the French game. Can we not then, for all the posters out there that don’t want to follow NZ and make the game more aerobic, now make a clear decision around with more injuries occur the more tired an athlete is? If France doesn’t have less injuries, then that puts paid to that complaint, and we just need to find out if it is actually more dangerous having ‘bigger’ athletes or not. How long have they had this rule?
70 Go to commentsHaha he does the exact opposite of what you’d expect any receiver to do, Brilliant!
2 Go to commentswell the favourites dont always win and let scott robertson chose his number 8
4 Go to commentsthats great for cam miller and the highlanders the crusaders have got problems within there systems that were proberly covered up astheywere winning when scott robertson was in charge
2 Go to commentsThe last time Plumtree coached the sharks they sucked the same when with the hurricanes now back with the shark Springboro. They still have no game plan
1 Go to commentsan impressive nail biting win for the Blues...but for mine the losing of the game sits with Isaia Walker-Leawere who fumbled balls from kick offs, broken play and then stripped of the ball by Sam Nock in the final minute…
4 Go to commentsAll of the Moderna law changes have been to slow the game down, playing into the hands of SA and the north. Incentivising boring, negative rugby. Brilliant changes. Speed up the game.
29 Go to commentsImagine you kick to the lineout, they give away a free kick, you have a great chance at a scrum, sorry sir you have to tap and go. Ridiculous
29 Go to comments