The Illawarra District Rugby Union has welcomed historic changes to the game set to be introduced in a bid to reduce head contact from the sport.
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Rugby Australia confirmed recently that it will implement a new trial that will see the legal height of tackles in the game lowered to below the sternum from February.
The trial is designed to reduce the risk of head-to-head and head-to-shoulder contact between ball carriers and tacklers.
The new 9.13 law will see match officials place greater emphasis on preventing a ball carrier "dipping" into a tackle and placing themselves, and potentially the defender, in an unsafe position for contact.
However, it will not change the ability for an attacking player to "pick-and-go" when starting and continuing at a low body height.
Illawarriors coach Sean Barrett said anything designed to make the game safer could only be a good thing.
"In principle if our game is safer, we're attracting girls into Sevens programs, girls in the 15s, young guys coming across from touch and Oztag and playing in that sevens and playing locally, that's a good thing," he said.
"If the mums and dads and our players all know that it's going to be a safer environment, what's not to like about it?"
Barrett said it's obviously going to take time for everyone in the game to adjust to these changes but the good thing was Rugby Australia had provided resources to help those involved in the game come up to speed with the changes.
"A definite talking point at the start of the season will be on referees and coaches and getting them up to speed with the changes," he said.
"A lot of our players probably haven't started doing the contact stuff yet so they will have a bit of time to work on changing the way they approach tackling."
The two-year trial comes after Rugby Australia announced its support for World Rugby's global research initiative last March, and will apply to all levels of Rugby below Super Rugby level when introduced in February.
It follows more than six years of research that has already seen trials of lower tackle heights undertaken in nations including France, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Wales and Scotland.
Preliminary data in South Africa has shown a 30 per cent reduction in concussions, while France recorded a 64 per cent reduction in head-on-head contact - as well as a 14 per cent increase in participation on pre-COVID levels.
This change in law will apply to all Australian rugby union competitions below Super Rugby that commence on or after February 10, 2024, through till the end of 2025, and includes school and pathway competitions to protect the code's young players.
"There's actually a new smart tackle learning course that's being offered online to help ," Barrett said.
"They're not just changing the rules, they're actually saying we're also going to give you some support resources as well, which is good, which is what we want as coaches and referees.
"This will allow us to have a clearer understanding of everything."
Barrett added he will get more feedback on the issues players have when he works with experienced Illawarriors' players such as Will and George Miller next month.
"They'll be able to give me some feedback on what the players think themselves.
"Having people like George and Will Miller involved in the program, who live and breathe by tackling and stealing the ball, we'll work out whether it's going to have an impact on us.
"I think it'll just change [Illawarriors] focus to be a low tackle focus and getting guys on the ground and then having the guys with that chop focus, low tackle focus. Then everyone can actually go for the ball or take some space, which,, it's going to be a fitness thing for some of the bigger guys as well, like getting up off the ground.
"I think you won't get those two big two man tackles and three man tackles as well because everyone's got to be below the sternum.
"So when you're thinking ball carrier carries the ball, you have to get everything underneath the ball at least.
"So the base of the sternum into that belly, a little softer region or we do chop tackles around our thighs and stuff and putting these guys on the deck.
"The biggest thing is safety first and I think if referees and coaches can all be on the same page and stuff, we'll actually have a safer game and we'll actually hopefully keep players playing the game and then keeping our juniors in it as well."
Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
