RFU Council approves lowering of the tackle height across community rugby in England from 2023/24

[Phil E]

How come Waist to Knee, is measured from the Hip and not the Waist?
Your tailor must be very creative.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Brian Moore's piece in today's Telegraph (oooooh I feel so unclean) is worth a read. I haven't linked it as you'll only be able to read about 6 lines of it unless you subscribe.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

How come Waist to Knee, is measured from the Hip and not the Waist?
Your tailor must be very creative.

Not as creative as yours with his 12 foot tape measure.

 

[crossref]

Brian Moore's piece in today's Telegraph (oooooh I feel so unclean) is worth a read. I haven't linked it as you'll only be able to read about 6 lines of it unless you subscribe.

The last paragraph is particularly apt for us refs

How about we stop portending disasters, for which we have no evidence, and try and make this work? It will require time and patience and probably revisions along the way, before it works as it has been shown it can. To players, I say it is your health and your careers that are at stake. For your own and your colleague’s sake, buy into this

If only the RFU had provided the details, the rationale, the explanation and the guidance we all need

 

[SimonSmith]

I hes


I hesitated to read this because it's quite long, but it was well worth it.
EVERYONE should read this before they comment on the proposed change. It answers all of the questions I have seen on social media and in the papers.

How the RFU have handled the announcement is a very different discussion, this information should have been presented to all clubs prior to any announcement to "sell" the decision.

Sooo, mixed reactions a bit.

It's well put together, if a little infuriating. There's an interpretation which is that the Elite Coaches didn't want their apple cart upset, so they pushed it to the Community game.

And I might have missed it, but I can't see much around the concept of absolute risk. Rugby is not a risk free sport; yes, we do what we can to minimize the risk, but nonethless, risk will always be there. So when I see statistics that the risk drops 30%, my immediate reaction is: from what to what? I saw a number floated that in the Championship, I think, it went from one concussive event per 12 games to 2 per 25 (I stand to be corrected if wrong)

Risk should be minimized, as I said, but I can't help but feel I'm being snowballed with the figures here. If this was presented to me at work, I'd be asking what the presenter was hiding. This is a little like reporting on "risk of XX happening doubles!!!" headlines in the newspaper - when the doubling is from 0.001% to 0.002%.

The old luddite in me starts to think that rugby is becoming a little like Theseus' ship.

 

[SimonSmith]

RFU

www.englandrugby.com

This is current RFU policy on injury reporting. I would like to know, in light of this policy, just how reliable the data is that the RFU is using as a foundation for the new policy. Legitimate questions can, I think, be asked. Is there is a separate mandated concussion tracker?.

 

[didds]

RFU

www.englandrugby.com

This is current RFU policy on injury reporting. I would like to know, in light of this policy, just how reliable the data is that the RFU is using as a foundation for the new policy. Legitimate questions can, I think, be asked. Is there is a separate mandated concussion tracker?.

one thing is for sure.
By applying it at the community game the data collection is going to be... open to conjecture. level 10 games played on the council pitch behind the old gasworks by the canal, two miles form the club house, where there is no 3G, let alone 5G, and half the players arrive from home, and go straight home afterwards and where there are no blazers to collate anything, just probably the captain who is already trying to get subs off people tyat are not going to the clubhouse, get their shirts back, check availabilities for next week etc etc etc, is going to be "best efforts"

 

[Stu10]

I've just read the comments from Ben Stokes on Twitter, which have gained a fair amount of attention...

Let’s lower the tackle height but bring in a higher chance of the attackers knees hitting defenders in the head.

My Dad’s professional career got ended earlier due to a broken neck from a knee to the head whilst tackling. Would you rather concussion or broken neck?

... and something just occurred to me, this whole thing is being presented incorrectly. Saying the RFU is lowering the tackle height is not an accurate description of the situation... the RFU is lowering the maximum tackle height... this change will not require any change of technique for players that already consistently tackle around the waist and legs. In response to Ben Stokes, the RFU is not saying all tackles must lower to knee level.

The RFU is removing tackles at chest and shoulder height, not telling all tacklers to move lower, and not saying that tackles must be at knee level.

 

[crossref]

Honestly I don't see why Ben Stokes' views are of interest to anyone !

Next up Marcus Smith on the recent change to enforce more strict time limits in Tennis

 

[didds]

stolen from twitter

 

[crossref]

stolen from twitter

And from post 60

 

[didds]

oops. apologies.

 

[Mipper]

Honestly I don't see why Ben Stokes' views are of interest to anyone !

Next up Marcus Smith on the recent change to enforce more strict time limits in Tennis

I’m always interested in Stokes’ views if I’m honest. He speaks really well. He also has an interest in it because of his dad.

As always it is not the same as agreeing with his views.

 

[crossref]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1618198334254247938

 

[Stu10]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1618198334254247938

For those of you that don't use Apple, I just asked Google Assistant to "play the latest The Real Science of Sport Podcast"

 

[crossref]

like they say - you can get it from wherever you get your podcasts

 

[crossref]

Listening to it now (the tackling discussion starts about 11mins in) it is worth a listen. In fact more than that, it's excellent

 

[RemainingInTheGame]

I can't find confirmation on World Rugby's website, nor a version of the story that is not paywalled.

Essentially major local papers in Australia (The Age and Sydney Morning Herald) saying that World Rugby will be following RFU in Jan 2024.

World Rugby set to lower elite game’s tackle height

In a seismic shift, Alan Gilpin, the chief executive of the game’s global governing body, has confirmed the organisation plans to follow the lead of England’s RFU.

www.smh.com.au

"He [Alan Gilpin from WR] also confirmed World Rugby was planning to stage a global law trial from January 1, 2024, initially at amateur level, with a decision yet to be made over whether that would involve a prohibition on tackles above the waist or the sternum."

 

[crossref]

There has been similar in the UK papers

 

[Stu10]

Changes would not be any earlier than the 2024-25 season and may not even be in place until after the 2027 World Cup... Clearly not in a rush!