Will you continue in Rugby?

[Dave Elliott]

With the changes in tackle height being brought in next season ( England ) , there has been a lot of opposition to this. Lots of people I have spoken to have said if it is brought in they will leave the game.

 

[Flish]

Emotional reactions, no one knows what it’s going to look like yet so there isn’t actually enough information out there to make an informed decision.

Regardless, I’ll still be coaching and reffing

 

[crossref]

We don't even know yet exactly what the RFU are planning , do we ?

I keep reading that the similar changes in France have actually proved popular

 

[Volun-selected]

Heard similar noises when we got banned from raking the ribs of a player we trapped on the ground,
... and how not allowing the scrum to engage from a distance was making us all soft,
... and so on.

Let's give it a run - if it plays out like France, now popular with faster flowing games with less injuries, then all good.

 

[crossref]

Us refs will have a big part to play, especially to begin with. We'll have to work out how to ensure safety while at the same time avoiding a PK fest

It's going to be a challenge.. and therefore fun!

 

[chbg]

Storm in a teacup caused by mis-communication.

 

[DocP]

Storm in a teacup caused by mis-communication.

Exactly what I think. If we watch rugby from a few years back, it was basically how all tackles happened anyway.

 

[didds]

Why on earth wouldn't you?
what you going to do instead - take up snowboarding on grass, or crocheting, or macrame? (not that there uis anything intrinsically wrong with any of those fine pursuits etc)

 

[Phil E]

Cynical me thinks those that say they are going to throw in the towel are people who were thinking of finishing anyway, and this gives them an excuse?

 

[crossref]

Cynical me thinks those that say they are going to throw in the towel are people who were thinking of finishing anyway, and this gives them an excuse?

Old dog, new tricks
I will confess I felt like that during the COVID variations.. limited appetite to learn what was like a new sport

But TBH I don't see lower tackles as that hard to ref. It's more of a coaching/playing problem , if you are a team that did a lot of choke tackles and double tackles .

 

[didds]

i agree CR.
Whilst we do still need to see what the real and eventual law(s) will become, i cant help but wonder how this affects playing the BALL and not the PLAYER.
eg You carry the ball against your chest - does this mean i cannot attack the BALL as its (perhaps marginally) above the waist ?

I appreciate this is a moot conversation of course.

 

[Ciaran Trainor]

In my part of the world there may not be many clubs to ref.
Many lads now play RL in summer also and the feeling is lots will just stay there.
I hope the new law doesn't come in.
Refs will be on a hiding to nothing.
We no longer have a problem with high tackles in general at my level and changing the laws will not affect this, you'll still get the odd one every game.

 

[Mipper]

Ciaran, I do not generally have an issue with high tackles. i tend to ping a marginal/debatable one early on and it tends to set a positive precedent then. Later in the game it can creep in again when players are tiring, but not rally an issue.

is your issue because of the RL influence in your area, do you think?

 

[Ciaran Trainor]

Not specifically because oF RL.
As you say ping early and the potential problem usually goes away.
The issue will be if, should the new laws come in, we have to penalise everything above the waist.
It is simply unworkable.
First phase of every game is likely to be,
peep kick off, arm out advantage high tackle and in no time we'll be 2 players down each side. oh hang on....

 

[crossref]

I think it's going to be sternum or armpit, not waist

 

[Stu10]

As I've said before, if this concludes with the maximum tackle height at the sternum then it essentially matches u19 and below, which many players and refs are happily coping with at present.

 

[crossref]

After the complete FUBAR of the original announcement, I am sure that the RfU are trying to get a lot of ducks in a row before providing more details of what they intend

 

[Mipper]

I’m sure I’m not alone here, but I started playing rugby in 1974, and I have seen many, many law changes. Many of them quite considerable, and I do recall plenty of doom-mongers predicting the death of the game over the years.

I don’t believe we will end up ‘below the waist’ but even if we did I would be quite happy to carry on, as I know Rugby will survive.

I referee quite a lot of Colts and U16 games and rarely am I picking up high, or dangerous tackles, even when the testosterone and teenage anger is flowing at its mightiest.

The real problem is with this very small (in the history of the game) group of players between say 20 and 35 ish who have never known a time when tackling was a low thing. That is; before the advent of RL coaches at the top level which then flowed down. This is not a criticism of RL by the way.

 

[Dave Elliott]

I think it's going to be sternum or armpit, not waist

I discussed that with an advisor and coach at the weekend. Would make much more sense

 

[SimonSmith]

Heard similar noises when we got banned from raking the ribs of a player we trapped on the ground,
... and how not allowing the scrum to engage from a distance was making us all soft,
... and so on.

Let's give it a run - if it plays out like France, now popular with faster flowing games with less injuries, then all good.

I will maintain for a very long time that changes in the ruck/breakdown application of law has had a detrimental effect on the game.