Championship Cup High Tackle Experiment to end

[Camquin]

See this piece on Coventry website.

 

[crossref]

well, some people anticipated it! I did !

it always seemed likely that reducing the tackle height would reduce concussion in ball carriers, but increase concussion in tacklers.

- likely, but would that actually be the case ?
- and even if so overall : would concussion go up or down?

the only way to tell is to trial, so well done the RFU for trialling

 

[Phil E]

well, some people anticipated it! I did !

How you haven't been called up by World Rugby to be their next CEO is beyond me :shrug:

 

[Shelflife]

For me theres a serious problem particularly in pro rugby with players tackling technique, there are so many players going low and have their head on the wrong side of the tackle resulting in knocks to the head and concussions, I see it creeping in to amateur rugby as well now.

Its only a matter of time before this practise will be outlawed as well as its very dangerous for the tackler.

 

[crossref]

How you haven't been called up by World Rugby to be their next CEO is beyond me :shrug:

I don't think I would be very good at that job -- but if WR ever advertised for a Laws Nerd...

 

[Zebra1922]

For me theres a serious problem particularly in pro rugby with players tackling technique, there are so many players going low and have their head on the wrong side of the tackle resulting in knocks to the head and concussions, I see it creeping in to amateur rugby as well now.

Its only a matter of time before this practise will be outlawed as well as its very dangerous for the tackler.

That would be a very difficult thing to referee. Might be fairly straightforward in an open field single person tackle situation but at speed incredibly tricky to referee appropriately. Players (and coaches) are going to have to take responsibility for this not referees.

I watch a lot of American Football (where 'tackle' technique is appalling due to the pads and helmets) and they banned tacklers initiating contact with the helmet in reaction to a player requiring spinal surgery after a helmet first tackle, cue loads of penalties in pre season games approximately 40% of which were in hindsight decided as mistakes, and that's with 5 officials on the field.

 

[OB..]

I watch a lot of American Football (where 'tackle' technique is appalling due to the pads and helmets) and they banned tacklers initiating contact with the helmet in reaction to a player requiring spinal surgery after a helmet first tackle, cue loads of penalties in pre season games approximately 40% of which were in hindsight decided as mistakes, and that's with 5 officials on the field.

Seven officials https://operations.nfl.com/the-offi...ly-good/officials-responsibilities-positions/

In the year 1976, the tackling technique known as spearing was banned across the board. Associations such as the National Football League (NFL), the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSHSA) made it illegal to perform any kind of spearing or head down contact to another player. This is mainly due to the severe injuries players would sustain upon using the spearing technique. Although this ban might have decreased the number of head injuries, players use of spearing still persists.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spearing_(gridiron_football)

(I was living in Washington in 1976).

 

[buff]

I can't find anything online, but was a requirement to tackle below the waist not trialled at one of the law laboratories in the UK? I thought I read somewhere that the intra-college rugby at Oxford or Cambridge did that sort of thing. Ball carriers started running into contact bent at the waist. That seems like a great way to increase head to head contact.

 

[buff]

I can't edit my post now. I meant bent at the waist with their shoulders at waist height.

 

[Flish]

That was in the last U20s world championship I think, was odd as they got cited post match if not bent over. Not sure if that was also part of this trial

 

[OB..]

The Cambridge Laws Laboratory has been discontinued. Its results were never officially published.

 

[buff]

This was several years ago. Maybe after the 2003 RWC? I remember reading something about it, possibly about the time I started refereeing in 2006.

 

[OB..]

Colleges rugby is very important in Cambridge and unique in that Division One is used to trial experimental laws for the RFU and IRB. The laws laboratory has run for twelve years and created a worldwide interest in its work. This scheme also attracts referees to come and referee in the Cambridge league and contribute to the friendship and fun which flourishes in our sporting environment.

http://www.curufc.com/About.aspx

Here is a 2006 document of the trials - http://www.agard.rugby.hu/letolt/JVEZ Elm/060828Szabalyvaltozasimuhely.pdf

I couldn't find anything later, but also found comments is this article http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/laws.htm

Laws Laboratories commenced in early 2012 (Stellenbosch and Cambridge)
[...]
In previous cycles, closed trials were operated by World Rugby at Cambridge and Stellenbosch but a desire to deliver extensive, meaningful, elite-level analysis and feedback, meant that unions were asked to nominate competitions for the trials. All trials will be filmed and independently analysed in preparation for World Rugby Council to consider which trials go forward for global trial in 2017.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Cambridge tackle trials were discontinued due to the players insistence on wearing stupid protective gear.

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