World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin has insisted it is not inevitable that the legal tackle height will be lowered at the professional level following widespread speculation over the past week.
As the Rugby Football Union – the governing body of English rugby – faced calls for senior officials to resign over their handling of a decision to lower the legal tackle height at the community level, Gilpin was asked to clarify comments he made earlier this week that were widely circulated.
In an interview with the London Telegraph, Gilpin suggested World Rugby was planning to lower the tackle height at the elite level. “Yes, we’re looking to make sure that we are implementing a lower tackle height across all parts of the game,” Gilpin said. “How that’s actually implemented is slightly different in the community game to the elite game.”
As the rule stands, a player cannot tackle an opponent above the shoulder.
In a media briefing with Australian reporters on day two of the Sydney Sevens, Gilpin was asked to clarify World Rugby’s position on the issue. Gilpin was asked if it was inevitable that a lowering of the legal tackle height at the professional level would come into effect at some stage.
“I don’t think it’s inevitable,” Gilpin said. “Players are already understanding they need to lower the tackle height at the elite level of the game in order to reduce head contact. Whether we need to make rule change to drive that, I think is an area we’re working pretty hard to understand.
World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin in Sydney last year.Credit:Getty
“At the elite level of the game, we’ve got an environment that is very different to the community game. Lowering the tackle height is a priority in the community part of the game to make the game safer for players playing at all ages and grades. At the elite level, we’re using a different approach to try and drive behavioural change.
“I know there are different parts of the world [that have] concerns about what those red cards and yellow cards [for high contact] mean for the shape of the game and for the entertainment spectacle. A lot of dialogue and a lot of hard work [is required] to understand how we find and trial different variants of that.”
If World Rugby were to make a change at the top level, it is unlikely it would be implemented before the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
Supporters are concerned that lowering the tackle height further could create more grey areas and poorer spectacles. It is something Gilpin acknowledged could happen if significant changes were made.
“That’s the challenge,” Gilpin said. “[We have to] really try and understand what those subtle differences mean. It’s not safety or spectacle, it’s how do we make the game as safe as possible and a better spectacle? In an incredibly competitive market here [in Australia] with obviously other codes. [It is] making sure fans are excited by what they see.”
The RFU apologised on Friday for causing “anger and concern” following an announcement that the legal tackle height would be lowered to the waist at community level. Clubs across the country said they weren’t consulted properly, prompting fresh calls for RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney to resign.
The RFU has said it plans to push on with the changes at grassroots level, but acknowledged it could have communicated better with stakeholders.
“The RFU board, council and executive staff apologise for the anger and concern that has been created among the rugby community,” a statement read. “We fully acknowledge we got the engagement wrong, and we are truly sorry.”
Gilpin said he was surprised by the response.
“Probably surprised, but again I think that’s about how you communicate the message and land the message,” Gilpin said. “Maybe that’s where there’s some lessons to be learned for others. Those situations [calls for the RFU board to resign] are always concerning. You’d like to think the right level of dialogue now between the community game and the RFU will allow commonsense to prevail.”
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