Hong Kong rugby bosses to consult clubs over lowering tackle height, convene working group to discuss trialling new laws
- Move comes after the World Rugby Council unanimously backed a recommendation that unions take part in trials in community game
- New trial would also include secondary laws around pick and go, double tackles and ball carrier dipping into contact
Hong Kong rugby bosses will discuss lowering the tackle height for games in the city after the world governing body’s council unanimously backed a recommendation that unions take steps to implement it.
The voluntary trial, which gives unions the freedom to adapt within their own jurisdiction, aims to improve player safety by reducing the risk of head-on-head contact and therefore concussions.
Moves to lower the tackle height across the community game in England met with considerable opposition from clubs, and forced the Rugby Football Union to row back their initial plans.
On Friday, World Rugby’s Council ratified an executive board suggestion from March to lower the permitted tackle height in the community game to below the base of the sternum – the area of the stomach, belly or below.
Having already said they would keep an open mind about the changes to the game, a spokesman said the Hong Kong Rugby Union had “set up a working group to look at this and will be discussing with clubs in the coming weeks”.
Opting into the new trial would allow a union to set a legal height at the base of the sternum, or below, depending on what works locally, while also setting secondary laws around the pick and go, double tacklers and ball carriers dipping into contact.
