Tackle Behaviours Trial Nears End Of First Season

As the end of the season draws closer, we also come towards the end of the first season of our Tackle Law adaptation Trial. Over the last eight months clubs and schools all over Ireland have lowered their tackle height as part of a trial to reduce the incidence of head impacts and accelerations.

As with any trial there was a period of adjustment but what was very noticeable, was that the overwhelming majority of Irish Rugby stakeholders were open to changes to the game’s laws.

The IRFU coach development and medical departments are reviewing data as part of this trial, including any impact on the game and ongoing monitoring of injury data from the Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance (IRIS) Project. This will give a better understanding of how the trial is progressing and how we will support clubs and schools during the second season.

In advance of next season the IRFU will analyse the impact the first season has had, and  will be implementing further educational supports akin to season one. The IRFU will also be releasing an overview of some of the findings with a preface that it is a two-year trial and conclusions may only be reached after the full duration. Further updates will be available on the Irish Rugby website ahead of next season.

Dr Caithríona Yeomans, IRFU Medical Manager said,

“We are committed to staying up to date on the latest evidence in the area of player welfare, and are excited to be part of this global trial. We are in a strong position as the Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance (IRIS) project has been ongoing since 2017, and we will continue to monitor injury trends from the IRIS Project throughout the trial, while also investigating any other impacts on the game as a whole.”

Colm Finnegan, National Rugby Development Manager added,

“From an overall adaptation perspective we have been very happy with how the trial has progressed, safety is always paramount in our game and we are delighted to see the efforts of all the coaches, players, match officials and supporters to ensure we have a purposeful trial that can inform where we go in our game.”