LONDON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - After a successful trial in community rugby, a lower "sternum tackle height" is to be introduced into the elite game for the first time at next year's World Under-20 championships in Georgia, World Rugby said on Monday.
The sport's governing body said that trials over the last two seasons in 11 countries showed a change in player behaviour, resulting in up to 10% reduction in upright tackles, with some unions reporting a reduction in concussion rates, albeit over a single season.
The rule will become mandatory for the community game from July 2026 and will get a first professional test at the Georgia U-20s event in June, when other aspects of the tackle will also be trialled.
They include allowing for “pick and go” actions near rucks and for players in the act of scoring, where the sternum becomes much harder to tackle below due to the lower ball carrier.
"Unions have asked us to trial lower tackle height... it is important to stress that we’re a long, long way from changing the law at the elite level at this point," World Rugby Chief Player Welfare and Rugby Services Officer Mark Harrington said.
"However, if this and subsequent trials show positive results across all player welfare, player feedback and fan enjoyment perspectives, then as a sport we need to embrace that.”
Rugby has been trying to evolve the tackle and contact aspects of the sport for several years against a backdrop of an ongoing lawsuit from more than 1,100 players who claim various governing bodies were negligent in not informing players of the risk of long-term brain injury or not taking reasonable action to protect them.
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Ed Osmond)
