Tackle height for U18s being studied
The Rugby Football Union is working with schools, clubs and colleges in its continuing determination to make the sport of rugby union as safe as possible for players up to the age of U18.
In season 2021-2022 the permitted tackle height in age grade rugby was lowered from the shoulder level to the line of the armpit.
At the same time, the RFU announced plans to evaluate a waist-height tackle law variation in addition to making it a penalty offence for dangerous or reckless play if the ball carrier leads into contact with an opponent by making a sudden or late dip from below their normal running position.
The evaluation is intended to further reduce high-risk tackle events in the age grade game by taking two heads out of the same air space.
Safe, enjoyable, unique & exciting
RFU Head of Game Development, John Lawn said: “We are exploring how to make the game as safe and enjoyable as possible for age grade players while maintaining the contact aspects that make it unique and exciting. We started planning the age grade tackle height back in 2019, building on everything done in the age grade game over the past decade and putting in place a building block approach to full contact rugby.”
The evaluation of waist-height tackling got under way at Millfield School on 17th September 2022. Eight schools: Millfield, Exeter, Kings Taunton, Canford, Taunton, Clifton, Blundells and QEH Bristol took part in a festival which involved around 180 U16 players. All matches were filmed, and two teams wore Instrumented Mouth Guards (IMGs).
Ensuring best practice for all involved
Millfield’s Director of Rugby, John Mallett, said: “We are glad to be working in collaboration with the Rugby Development Department at England Rugby, and seven other southwest schools in this tackle height law evaluation. The aim is to ensure best practice among players, coaches and referees in supporting the ongoing pursuit of a safe game. We are supporting an evidence-based approach to potential improvements in the tackle height laws, as well as continuing Activate warm-ups, coach education and Headcase qualification for staff.”
John Lawn: “We were very excited to get the evaluation underway. Millfield were fantastic hosts and, together with the other schools taking part, have been massively supportive of the work we are doing. The players responded really well to the changes and matches were played at a very high tempo with great physicality and high skill levels. It was really pleasing to report that most tackles were consistently at or below the line of the navel.”
Informing coaching and refereeing of the tackle.
Keith Stokes, RFU medical research lead, said: “Aligning the data from instrumented mouthguards with video will allow us to describe game events that result in head accelerations. Information from the Millfield event will also allow us to explore the effect that tackle height has on head accelerations in the tackle, which will build on the evidence to inform future approaches to coaching and refereeing the tackle.”
There was a further festival played with the waist height tackle law variation, with three club teams: Whitchurch, Newport and Oswestry hosted at Whitchurch RFC in Shropshire and further festivals are planned, initially in Cornwall and the West Midlands. These will also be filmed and analysed by the University of Bath.
Any U16 – U18 club, school or college teams wanting to discover more or to be part of the ongoing evaluation of tackle height in age grade rugby please email John Lawn at johnlawn@rfu.com
