AMATEUR RUGBY IN Ireland will trial a lower legal tackle height from next season as part of ongoing work to reduce the incidence of head injuries in the sport.

The IRFU has voted to opt in to World Rugby’s global trial, which will lower the permitted tackle line to below the line of the sternum.

The trial will come into effect in Ireland from the start of the 2023/24 amateur rugby season and continue through to the end of the 2024/25 season.

The IRFU confirmed that it will apply to “all amateur IRFU and provincial competitions at age-grade and adult levels in clubs and schools”.

Previously the legal tackle height was defined by the line of shoulders, as drawn from one armpit to another.

The new trial law defines dangerous tackling as including, but not limited to, “tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the line of the sternum even if the tackle starts below the line of the sternum”.

The trial will not “change the ability for an attacking team to carry out a ‘pick-and-go’ play, but law application guidelines may apply where any player has initiated shoulder-to-head/neck or head-to-head/neck contact”.

“Based on the findings of the community consultation process, there is a critical mass of stakeholders who are clearly open to change for the good of the game,” Colin McEntee, IRFU Rugby Development Director, said.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who engaged with us throughout – the constructive feedback we received on both sides of the argument has shaped how we’ll be implementing the trial and supporting everyone in making it a success for the future of our sport.

“The trial itself won’t present any significant changes to how we coach the tackle – it’s only the matter of a few centimetres.

“But it is a significant element of a wider drive to improve tackle behaviours.”