World Rugby has confirmed a major law change aimed at improving player safety will become permanent across the grassroots game worldwide from next month as it moved closer to being implemented at professional level.
The governing body has officially approved lower tackle heights, with all member unions required to introduce the law from July 1. Under the new regulations, national unions will be able to choose between setting the maximum legal tackle height at either the base of the sternum or the waist.
The regulation will also move a step closer to being introduced into the pro game, with tackles above the sternum set to be outlawed at this summer’s World Under-20 Championship in Georgia.
A specific exemption will be permitted for close-range pick-and-go situations near the try-line, where players are often already bent low and defenders have limited space to adjust their tackling technique.
The move will result in little change for community rugby in Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland, where clubs have already been operating under trial versions of the law.
World Rugby says analysis of around 150,000 tackles across 11 trial nations showed reductions in concussion rates following the introduction of lower tackle heights.
The issue sparked controversy when it was first introduced in England in 2023. Initial plans to lower the tackle height to the waist prompted a backlash from clubs before the Rugby Football Union revised the proposal and adopted the base-of-the-sternum model instead.
The law change forms part of World Rugby’s ongoing efforts to reduce head injuries and make the sport safer at all levels.
The World Rugby Council also voted to move a number of other successful trials into full law from July 1. These include:
- The scrum brake foot which reduces axial loading (pressure on heads and necks) in the scrum
- Restrictions on water carriers entering the field of play
- Confirming the role of the Television Match Official as a formal part of the officiating team
- Allowing elite competitions the option of using 20 minute red cards if they choose to.
World Rugby Chairman Brett Robinson said: “Player welfare is at the heart of everything that rugby does. I welcome the adoption of a lower tackle height into community law. I would like to thank all the unions and academics and most importantly players and referees who took part in the trials that have helped us to reach this point.
“The trials from round the world show that this is the right thing to do to make our game safer and more enjoyable for community players who are the lifeblood of our sport.
“Rugby has always led the way when it comes to making changes considered changes to improve the welfare of our players and alongside provisions such as smart mouthguards in the elite game, we’ve shown time and again that we’ll make the big calls and that we’re getting them right, backed by the evidence.”