Concussions and Protecting Our Players

[Dan54]

Posted this in NZ super teams, a very wise decision, but still a little sad.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...arold-hurricanes-prop-reggie-goodes-to-retire

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

This year's Under-20 World Rugby Trophy (next level down from JRWC) will trial a re-worded Law 9.13:

"A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously. Dangerous tackling includes, but is not limited to, tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the nipple line even if the tackle starts below the nipple line."

https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/i...-lower-tackle-height-to-below-the-nipple-line

Interesting that the research found that 72% of head injuries were to the tackler.

 

[zer0]

*Blows whistle*
"Sorry guys, I have a report from the TMO. What have you got for me, Skeeny?"
"Angus, I just want to show you some footage of #8 nipples."
"Okay. So you're thinking it was a high tackle? Put it up on the stadium screen so I can have another look."
"Uhhh. Yeah. Sure. A high tackle."
*Plays footage*
"Yeah, I'm not seeing anything wrong there, Ben. I'm going to resume play with a scrum."
"Angus, I've got a close up of #8's nipples I want to show you. It gives you a better look. We have them in slow motion, too."
"Fine. Put it up then, I guess."
*Plays footage*
"There's nothing there. I'm playing on."
"Angus, I've got NASA on the line. They're turning the Hubble telescope in on #8's nipples. I'll have the footage to show you soon."
*Removes earpiece*

 

[cyclopath]

*Blows whistle*
"Sorry guys, I have a report from the TMO. What have you got for me, Skeeny?"
"Angus, I just want to show you some footage of #8 nipples."
"Okay. So you're thinking it was a high tackle? Put it up on the stadium screen so I can have another look."
"Uhhh. Yeah. Sure. A high tackle."
*Plays footage*
"Yeah, I'm not seeing anything wrong there, Ben. I'm going to resume play with a scrum."
"Angus, I've got a close up of #8's nipples I want to show you. It gives you a better look. We have them in slow motion, too."
"Fine. Put it up then, I guess."
*Plays footage*
"There's nothing there. I'm playing on."
"Angus, I've got NASA on the line. They're turning the Hubble telescope in on #8's nipples. I'll have the footage to show you soon."
*Removes earpiece*

Cue Dismal with some nipple-grot GIF. I know he has something..........

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^ I'm picking up a power usage spike on East Pitcairn. Safe to assume he's working on it right now.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Rugby porn has just taken on a new meaning.

 

[liquor box]

I actually like the nipple rule, should be the armpit rule though, a bit more definitive.

It is hard to excuse a hit bouncing off the armpit height and hitting the head as is the case with bouncing off the shoulder.

An upside may be more off loads by the attacking team if their shoulders and arms are free.

A good hit to the chest can be devastating and this rule will not ruin the game and may make it safer.

 

[Pfitzy]

You'll have to tackle Poey around the fucking ankles if his pecs get any bigger.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Dangerous tackling includes, but is not limited to, tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the nipple line even if the tackle starts below the nipple line."

​

"George, it's not April the 1st, would you please just put the correct nipple footage up on the big screen, we're all bloody waiting down here."

 

[fatprop]

So it seems clear the legal tackle area will be lowered. (fyi Jared Payne is another unit who has had to retire due to a head knock from the Lions tour)

So what will be the unintended consequences of the rule change?

I think the chop tackle may come back in a major way with the reach in scrag,. Also more "lingering" to block the pop pass as attackers run with arms higher and thus freer to get the pass away

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

With 72% of the injuries being to the tackler, how & when are they going to address/ police the other side of the tackle? Ryan Crotty's latest concussion came from being (accidentally) elbowed in the head by the guy he was tackling. Should that player have been penalised for reckless contact or some such? It's a real can of worms & fish hooks, this one.

 

[fatprop]

With 72% of the injuries being to the tackler, how & when are they going to address/ police the other side of the tackle? Ryan Crotty's latest concussion came from being (accidentally) elbowed in the head by the guy he was tackling. Should that player have been penalised for reckless contact or some such? It's a real can of worms & fish hooks, this one.

There are safety concerns that need to be addressed (or at least appear to be addressed) so they can stand up in front of a judge at some time in the future to provide evidence that steps are being taken to limit claims for punitive damages.

This isn't the finish of the changes to come, as you highlighted above attackers are going to have be targeted eventually as well.

 

[Derpus]

With 72% of the injuries being to the tackler, how & when are they going to address/ police the other side of the tackle? Ryan Crotty's latest concussion came from being (accidentally) elbowed in the head by the guy he was tackling. Should that player have been penalised for reckless contact or some such? It's a real can of worms & fish hooks, this one.

Tell them to play Soccer.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Tell them to play Soccer.

Unless these sort of changes are made, they won't have a choice soon enough

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Brumby Runner]

So it seems clear the legal tackle area will be lowered. (fyi Jared Payne is another unit who has had to retire due to a head knock from the Lions tour)

So what will be the unintended consequences of the rule change?

I think the chop tackle may come back in a major way with the reach in scrag,. Also more "lingering" to block the pop pass as attackers run with arms higher and thus freer to get the pass away

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

Agree FP, but one specific consequence might also be that players who tackle in an upright stance atm will become less effective than at present. I have in mind, especially, one Kurtley Beale, who is just about the most upright player in the game at the collision.

 

[Derpus]

Unless these sort of changes are made, they won't have a choice soon enough

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Nah. There will be a threshold at which point people will just have to accept the inherent risks of the sport. Rugby without tackling isn't rugby.

I agree with and condone minimization but as pointed out, injuries are rarely the result of the height of the tackle. They are just fiddling around the fringes when the thing that really causes injury is essential to rugby.

 

[Derpus]

Agree FP, but one specific consequence might also be that players who tackle in an upright stance atm will become less effective than at present. I have in mind, especially, one Kurtley Beale, who is just about the most upright player in the game at the collision.

All good, his head barely reaches everyone else's nipples when standing up anyway.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Laugh it off Derpus, but I cannot honestly see Beale learning to bend his knees and to bend at the waist to attempt to make a tackle. No doubt there are others in the same boat, but he is just about the most high profile player in the game who presently has many issues with his tackling efforts. I can see it becoming more difficult for the likes of him to adapt to the new requirements, if they come in at the higher levels of the game.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Agree FP, but one specific consequence might also be that players who tackle in an upright stance atm will become less effective than at present. I have in mind, especially, one Kurtley Beale, who is just about the most upright player in the game at the collision.

Tucked away in the announcement was something about players being cautioned for not bending at the waist which to my mind is encouraging people to tackle head first thereby increasing the chances of getting it wrong & copping a knee or other body part.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Tucked away in the announcement was something about players being cautioned for not bending at the waist which to my mind is encouraging people to tackle head first thereby increasing the chances of getting it wrong & copping a knee or other body part.

The World Rugby announcment for the changes goes into the reasons for what they are trialling.

https://www.worldrugby.org/u20/news/336546

But basically they want to address these two issues

• The risk of injury to both players from a high-contact tackle (when the tackler is upright) is 4.3 times greater than a low-contact tackle
• Head on head contact (when the tackler is upright) is 6.5 times more likely to result in a head injury than the lower head-to-hip tackle