Here are the latest rugby headlines on Thursday, January 19.
Legal tackle height lowered to waist in community rugby in England
Legal tackle height will be lowered to the waist across English community rugby from next season. eThe radical move has been unanimously approved by Rugby Football Union Council members in an attempt to support player welfare, notably reducing head impact exposure.
It will apply across the community game - clubs, schools, colleges and universities at both age-grade and adult levels - covering the National One division and below in the men's game and Championship One and below in the women's game.
SIGN UP: Get the latest Six Nations headlines sent straight to your inbox for free with our daily newsletter
"Designed to improve player safety and informed by data, this change aims to reduce head impact exposure and concussion risk in the tackle for both the ball carrier and tackler," the RFU said, in a statement. "Evidence from studies has consistently demonstrated that higher contact on the ball-carrier and closer proximity of the ball-carrier and tacklers' heads are associated with larger head impacts (as measured by smart mouthguards) and an increased risk of concussion.
"Lowering the height of the tackle and encouraging the tackler to bend more at the waist will minimise the risk of this occurring, while maintaining the tackle as an integral part of the game. "Tackles must be made at the line of the waist and below. The aim is to put players' heads in the safest possible place by defining in law where the line of the tackle may start.
"Ball carriers will be encouraged to follow the principle that rugby is a game of evasion, and they should avoid late dipping and thereby avoid creating a situation where a bent tackler may be put at increased risk of head-on-head contact with the ball carrier through a late or sudden change in body height of the ball carrier. Match officials will focus on the actions of the ball carrier as well as the tackler when head contact occurs."
RFU president Nigel Gillingham added: "Players' welfare must always be at the centre of decisions we make about how we play the game of rugby. Evidence from our own research and from around the world clearly shows that lowering the tackle height will reduce head impact exposure and the risk of concussion. The RFU Council is able to influence how the game is played at the community level in this country and, therefore, has unanimously supported the decision to lower the tackle height to waist level."
The RFU move, which takes effect from July 1, was welcomed by World Rugby.
Dozens of amateur rugby players send letter of claim to rugby authorities
A letter of claim has been sent to World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union and Rugby Football Union by more than 55 amateur rugby players over a potential brain injury lawsuit. The group includes several retired female internationals, elite male players who took part in the sport before it turned professional in 1995, elite youth-teamers and the family of a male rugby player who died due to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
A number of allegations have been raised by the claimants, like the potential negligence of the defendants failing to protect the players from neurological impairments like CTE and early onset dementia. Their focus is on securing damages for themselves and their families in addition to trying to help change the game to make it safer for future generations.
Rylands Garth are behind the case and already represent more than 275 former professional athletes with brain damage, including England's 2003 World Cup winner Steve Thompson and former Wales captain Ryan Jones, who have issued similar actions against various governing bodies.
Rylands' Richard Boardman said: "It doesn't matter what level of the game you played or are playing at, whether it's at school or adult rugby, and as a professional or amateur, male or female, we are sadly seeing the same alarming neurological impairments at all levels of the game.
"This is a life-and-death issue for many. The vast majority of the current and former players we represent love the game and don't want to see it harmed in any way.
"We now also represent the estates of deceased players who were found to have CTE post-mortem, which is definitive proof that a contact sport was responsible. Those involved just want to make the sport safer so current and future generations don't end up like them.
"This is why the claimants are asking the rugby governing bodies to make a number of immediate changes to save the sport, such as a mandatory limit on contact in training, reducing non-injury substitutions, having a more effective pitch-side diagnostic tool than the HIA, setting up a brain injuries passport, using independent neuro-experts for research and guidance and extending the return to play (following a concussion) to 28 days."
Grady bids to impress after Wales call-up amid brother's advice
New Wales call-up Mason Grady has revealed how he discovered he was part of Warren Gatland's Six Nations squad. The 20-year-old, who had trained with Wales during the autumn campaign, is one of four uncapped players in Gatland's first squad since taking over as Wales coach again. And that news has still yet to sink in for the Cardiff centre.
"There was an email at 11.30am but I was in a meeting at that time," explained Grady. "I felt my phone buzzing at 12pm so I thought maybe I'd be in with a shout. Then Willis [Halaholo] told me after I got out of the meeting. I couldn't believe it.
"To be honest, it still hasn't really sunk in. I'm still getting lots of messages from people congratulating me. I'm just really pleased. I didn't expect to get in at the start of the season. To get where I am now, I'm really proud.
"I was a bit in and out in the last camp. I went from one week in to going back to Cardiff to play a friendly with Bristol. I'm looking forward to getting stuck in and seeing what I can do."
In being selected for Wales, Grady is following in the footsteps of his older brother, Cory Allen, who recently retired from the game. The six-cap international has already offered some advice to his younger sibling: "Cory is trying to play it down," added Grady. "He's said 'well done, now try and get in the matchday 23'."
Brive v Cardiff kick-off time forced to change
The kick-off time for Cardiff's European Challenge Cup clash in Brive this weekend has been brought forward due to the risk of freezing conditions.
EPCR said in a statement: "Due to the possibility of freezing conditions in the vicinity of the match venue on Saturday night (21 January), it has been decided to change the kick-off time of the EPCR Challenge Cup, Round 4 fixture between CA Brive and Cardiff Rugby at the Stadium de Brive.
"The kick-off of the contest in Pool A has been brought forward to 16.15 local time on Saturday when temperatures are forecast to be conducive to playing the match without any risk. This change has been pre-emptively agreed by CA Brive, Cardiff Rugby, EPCR, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby and the United Rugby Championship. The playing surface at the Stadium de Brive is currently playable, heated and covered ahead of the fixture."
Wales U20s name side to face Poland
Wales U20s head coach Byron Hayward has named a fresh squad to face Poland's senior men’s team at Cardiff Arms Park on Friday, January 20 (7.15pm kick-off, free entry).
It will act as a final U20s Six Nations audition, with Hayward naming his squad early next week.
Cardiff Rugby No. 8 Mackenzie Martin joins regional colleague Cameron Winnet and Ospreys duo Harri Houston and Dan Edwards as the only players in the starting XV who played in the summer’s U20s Six Nations summer series in Treviso.
Poland, coached by Welsh duo Christian Hitt and Morgan Stoddart, will pose a major threat to Hayward’s side and he is expecting a tough encounter. "It’s a last opportunity for players as we play Ireland in just over two weeks in the opening round of the Six Nations in Colwyn Bay," said Hayward. "Physicality is important at Test match level so we’ll be looking to match them so hopefully we can stand up to them and win the physical battle."
With Mason Grady joining Joe Hawkins, Christ Tshiunza and Dafydd Jenkins in Warren Gatland’s Six Nations squad, Hayward says there is plenty of incentive for his players to put their hands up. "We don’t need to say anything to motivate the players, less than six months ago the likes of Joe, Dafydd, Christ and Mason were playing for us. They have all graduated within six months of coming out of the U20s so that’s a real positive for us."
Wales U20s: 15. Cameron Winnett, 14. Llien Morgan, 13. Louie Hennessey, 12. Harri Ackerman, 11. Harri Houston, 10. Dan Edwards, 9. Archie Hughes, 1. Dylan Keller Griffiths, 2. Lewis Morgan, 3. Will Couch, 4. Liam Edwards, 5. Jonny Green, 6. Huw Davies, 7. Luca Giannini, 8. Mackenzie Martin.
Replacements: 16. Isaac Young, 17. Freddie Chapman, 18. Tomas Pritchard, 19. Patrick Nelson, 20. Owain Evans, 21. Caleb Salmon, 22. Tom Caple, 23. Harri Williams, 24. Harrison James, 25. Iestyn Gwilliam, 26. Jac Davies.
Uncapped Osborne in Ireland squad as Henshaw and Carbery miss out
Robbie Henshaw and Joey Carbery have been left out of Ireland's 37-man squad for the Guinness Six Nations but there is a place for uncapped Leinster back Jamie Osborne.
Centre Henshaw has endured an injury-hit season and is currently sidelined with a wrist issue, while Ross Byrne and Jack Crowley have been selected ahead of Carbery as fly-half cover for captain Johnny Sexton. Osborne, 21, is the only Test newcomer picked by Andy Farrell on the back of his standout performances for his province. Sexton, who underwent surgery after suffering a cheekbone problem on New Year's Day, and prop Tadhg Furlong (ankle and calf) are also among the 20 Leinster players called upon as they recover from injuries.
Ireland, who top the world rankings and won the Triple Crown last year, begin their campaign on February 4 against Wales in Cardiff.
Experienced Munster pair Keith Earls and Conor Murray and Connacht centre Bundee Aki also make the cut, despite a lack of recent action at club level. Ulster forwards Nick Timoney and Kieran Treadwell are among the other players to miss out.
Head coach Farrell said: "The Six Nations is a huge competition for us and another opportunity for us to grow as group. 2022 was a busy year as we got to work with a larger group of players as we continued to build our squad depth and competition for places. While there are a few players carrying knocks and others that have missed out on selection for the start of the tournament, they will have the opportunity to push their case playing for their provinces in the URC (United Rugby Championship) over the coming weeks as no doubt we will need to call upon the wider group as the tournament progresses."
READ MORE:
Sam Warburton names future Wales captain and says Warren Gatland can stun Ireland
Warren Gatland disappointed WRU blocked Rob Howley appointment and insists he should be forgiven
The unlucky Wales players as Gatland's decision puts international careers in jeopardy
The verdict on Wales' Six Nations squad and the clear plan Gatland now has
