The ‘great’ debate about the proposed changes to the tackle laws are some of the most divisive and controversial since Rugby Union went professional in 1995. However what the RFU crucially underestimated in putting out the statement they did was that whilst the change back in 1995 fundamentally changed the game across the globe, it materially impacted a very small amount of the rugby playing population. On the 1st Saturday of the first professional season, the vast majority of players across the world would have taken to the field in the same way they had done for many years before, and seen no change to what they knew.

This change however impacts all of us – whether players, coaches or supporters and when you are going to impacted by something, you are always going to have a stronger opinion and be more likely to voice it – this is what has happened here and has led to what is as close to a revolt from the grassroots as I have ever seen. The RFU have only slightly backtracked with their apology for the way it was communicated, the removal of the word waist from communications and a commitment to more consultation (although they are still adamant the change will be going through in the summer).

A number of people have asked me, and other members of the club committee what both our personal and club stances are on this, and to that I say 2 things:

1) It is very difficult for us to have an opinion without knowing exactly what we are having an opinion on is. Initially the tackle height was being moved to the waist (although how this was decided upon is something which the RFU must investigate as it was a word which wasn’t included in any council vote), now it might be the sternum. What is the impact on the pick and go, what will the sanctions be, will it be applied differently at 1st XV level, compared to Vets level? Until we know all of this, it is very hard to have an informed opinion.

2) The opinion of myself, or the mini and junior chairman, or captains, is no more or less valuable than that of any other club member, and therefore our club opinion on this will be informed by the membership. Therefore once we have detail on what this change looks like, we will ensure we consult appropriately and have an informed debate which we can pass onto our RFU council member to take into the informed debates on the matter.
Regardless of what these final recommendations come out as, I think there are a few important points to consider:

- No one is disputing that the game should consider options which have the potential to make the game safer and if lowering the tackle height could do that, without fundamentally changing the game, we should all consider what these could be.

- Tackling above the waist has not always been an important part of the game. If you look at any video footage of the sport from the 70s and 80s, you will see the vast majority of tackles were at waist or below. Now, I don’t think making comparisons to the game then is particularly helpful because of the radical transformation the game has undergone since then, but it is worth being aware of.

- A lot of comparisons have been made to the changes in France, which have recently applied a number of new laws in a similar area. These have to be taken in context however because the participation rates of sport in the country, the way sport is currently perceived, the structure of the game in France and the political pressure which they face is all very different to England.

The committee will keep all members updated as we have information and will consult when we have some solid information to consult with. In the meantime, please keep reading articles, informing yourself as much as possible, but most importantly, staying engaged with this great sport.

Chris Campbell
Director of Rugby
11th February 2023