WHAT ON earth? That’s my reaction on 19 January (and many others) when a news release from the RFU Council materialised. It said: “To support player welfare, the Council agreed on Monday 16 January to lower the height of the tackle across the community game from 1 July 2023.”
It went on: “The RFU Council’s unanimous vote will result in law variations from next season, 2023-24, with the tackle height being set at waist height or below. The changes will apply across England’s community game (clubs, schools, colleges and universities) at both age-grade and adult levels – National One and below in the men’s game and Championship One and below in the women’s game.”
There was a shock factor in all this that was nothing to do with tackling. How many in the sport knew that the RFU Council was still going? We’d not heard from them for years. And why were they suddenly the arbiters of law, good taste and safety? And why interfere in a key existing debate?
