World Rugby has unanimously backed a recommendation for unions to take part in trials of "belly tackles" in community rugby in a bid to reduce head injuries and concussions.
The governing body's council have approved lowering the permitted tackle height in the community game to below the base of the sternum: the area of the stomach, belly or below.
The opt-in trial, which World Rugby say unions can adapt within their own jurisdiction, will see its results reviewed in early 2025 following sufficient time to gather "quality" data. Unions partaking in the trial will be able to set a legal tackle height at the base of the sternum or below, as best suits their community game, and set secondary laws governing associated areas of the game like pick and go, double tacklers and ball carriers dipping into contact.
World Rugby say trials in France and South Africa have shown that lowering the tackle height reduces the number of head-on-head contacts and concussions, while ball-in-play time and offloading increased. They also say the changes helped to increase player participation in France.
A World Rugby statement issued on Thursday said: "The international federation’s council ratified the executive board’s recommendation from March, to follow the evidence and lower the permitted tackle height in the community game to below the base of the sternum - the area of the stomach, belly or below – statistically the safest place to make a tackle for both tackler and ball carrier.
"Following World Rugby executive board’s initial recommendations in March, unions including England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, Italy and South Africa are set to join the trials alongside France and New Zealand where similar trials were already taking place. Many more are undertaking consultation.
"Following enquiries from members, World Rugby would support closed trials at the elite level should a union or competition wish to run such a trial."
World Rugby has pledged to support players and unions with coach and player education tools as well as ensuring that trials are properly assessed and monitored.
World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: "Change is challenging. We anticipate that the trial will take time to settle. However, throughout this process we have been guided by the science to help make the game safer for our players and the evidence is unequivocal. We will work with our unions to commission and collate feedback as we advance through the two-year trial. This bank of data will enable us to closely monitor its impact.”
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