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A trial to introduce ‘belly tackles’ in the community game has been proposed by World Rugby to reduce concussions.<\/span><\/p>\n A belly tackle is a tackle made at a height below the sternum (mid chest).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The opt-in trial, which is subject to World Rugby Council approval, is being encouraged of member nations by the governing body.<\/span><\/p>\n “The clear mounting evidence is that doing nothing is simply not an option,” World Rugby’s chief executive Alan Gilpin said.<\/span><\/p>\n “Specifically in the community game, head-on-head contact is something we need to reduce. <\/span><\/p>\n “We have to view these proposals as an opportunity to grow the sport at community level in tandem with reducing player risk.”<\/span><\/p>\n Gilpin did not rule out making a permanent law change to the tackle height in the community game. He also refused to rule out a change of tackle height in the elite game in future.<\/span><\/p>\n The council is meeting in May to approve the trial but World Rugby has announced it now so nations can engage in consultation before next season.<\/span><\/p>\n If the trial is approved, the governing body will provide training resources, with training technique programmes mandatory. And nations will also be encouraged to measure the impact of the trial.<\/span><\/p>\n The proposed trial comes after different lower tackle heights have been suggested in other nations.<\/span><\/p>\n England’s national governing body, the Rugby Football Union, faced a backlash against its new laws for tackles to be lowered to waist height for the English community game next season. <\/span><\/p>\n It apologised<\/span><\/a> for the handling of the decision and has engaged in renewed consultation with the non-elite game.<\/span><\/p>\n World Rugby also approved a waist tackle height trial in France in 2019, while New Zealand and Scotland have also been in consultation about lowering tackle height.<\/span><\/p>\n “Unions have flexibility to the level at which they adopt this. Our recommendation is below the sternum,” Mark Harrington, World Rugby’s chief player welfare and rugby services officer, said.<\/span><\/p>\n “We certainly wouldn’t be looking at recommending that every tackle is a chop tackle around the ankles, which admittedly for big guys is a challenge. There are some that might put it at nipple height.<\/span><\/p>\n “People say we’re trying to drive the game to the floor. We’re not, we’re just trying to get heads out of the same space.”<\/span><\/p>\n Hundreds of former players are in the <\/span>process of suing<\/span><\/a> World Rugby, among other governing bodies, for a failure to protect them from brain injuries.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat else has been said?<\/h3>\n