RFU pledges clarity on new tackle laws
THE RFU says it will soon provide more clarity on its controversial decision to reduce tackle height in the community game from July 1 this year.
The tackle height will be lowered to the waist from next season for all levels apart from the Premiership and Championship in the men’s game, and in Championship One and below in the women’s game.
Ball carriers will also be encouraged to follow the principle of evasion to avoid late dipping and thereby avoid creating a situation where a bent tackler may be put at increased risk of head-onhead contact with the ball carrier.
The RFU says “detailed guidelines” will be sent out to players, coaches and referees. “We understand this is a significant change,” said a union spokesperson.
“We understand this is a significant change and the game will have questions around the detail of the new law variation, what it means for coaches and players and how the tackle will be refereed during different phases of the game.
“Detailed law application guidelines and training materials will be provided over the coming weeks for players, coaches and match officials to give clarity for the game.
“By making this decision now, the intention is to give the game time to prepare ahead of the new season.”
However, numerous players expressed their concerns, branding the law change unworkable, lamenting a lack of consultation, and fearing a mass player departure from the sport.
A petition calling for the RFU to reverse its decision amassed more than 45,000 signatures in the two days since its launch on Thursday.
“Dropping the tackle height to below the waist will make the game a farcical spectacle to watch,” said the petition founder Ed Bartlett, who plays for Old Reigatian RFC in the level-six Regional South East 2. I completely understand the need to make the game safer and where possible eliminate the headon-head collisions, but no-one is forcing anyone to play rugby union.”
Former England prop David Flatman says: “Firstly, we should take encouragement from the fact that the RFU are willing to make such big calls – and this is certainly a very big call – with player welfare in mind.
“There are a lot of positives in this announcement. However, the first potential issue that springs to my mind as a former player is how little I always wanted my head to go anywhere near the kneecaps of charging ball carriers. Their hips, too, always felt more threatening to my head than, say, their chest or ribcage.
“But the RFU are trying, and when you look at football and their comparatively regressive approach to player welfare, this should be applauded. A welcome add-on is that the behaviour and movement of the ball carrier will now be taken into consideration.
“This is a step forward as, until now, tacklers have been expected to alter body positions faced with high speed approaches in fractions of seconds. In reality, the responsibility for unpleasant collisions is often shared.
“I expect this new initiative will be difficult to referee, too. After all, we’re effectively asking people to reset or alter muscle memory and habits that have been natural movements for years and years. With this in mind, we ought to show as much compassion and support for the game’s officials as possible.”
The plans have been criticised by some of the game’s biggest names.
“Rugby is not an ‘evasion sport’,” former New Zealand international Sonny Bill Williams wrote on social media. “Rugby is about creating space through manipulating and moving defences, contact is part of the game.”
Former Wales and Lions player Mike Phillips added that players should expect “more red and yellow cards” that would “spoil the game”.
Harlequins prop Joe Marler expressed his disapproval with a “mindblown” emoji while Gloucester’s Lewis Ludlow, below, said concussions would “go through the roof ” in the community game.
Retired English World Cup winner Kat Merchant – who quit the game aged 28 on medical advice after 11 concussions in 14 seasons - said she was “struggling to understand” how the new law would prevent concussions.
She tweeted: “I retired due to concussions – most of which occurred as the tackler. Head to hip or head to knee. A well executed chop tackle is all about getting the right angle etc. Being forced into a fronton low tackle on the other hand won’t end well for the tackler.”