World Rugby has unveiled a proposed global trial in a bid to eliminate high tackles

The governing body revealed the next stage of their efforts to eliminate head contact on Friday morning.

While the exact details are still to be finalised, a global trial is expected to commence at the amateur and community level in 2024. Officials are considering lowering the maximum tackle height to either the waist or sternum line.

The changes will flow to the professional game, however it's expected the tackle height will remain at the armpit and it could take up to four years for the laws to be implemented.

The news comes a week after the English Rugby Football Union unveiled controversial changes to tackle laws in the sport's lower tiers. Under the new edict, all tackles must be below the waist.

The backlash in the UK has been swift, however that did not stop World Rugby from pushing forward as they look to reduce the number of concussions in matches.

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Among the criticisms are the potential for increased concussions from players going low to make legs tackles. The governing body, however, points to data suggesting more head injuries come in upright tackles, rather than when the defender is bent at the waist.

Gungahlin coach Lachlan McCaffrey played through the early stages of the crackdown on high tackles and while he supports the effort to make the game safer he fears rugby could lose its point of difference if the changes become permanent.

"Rugby union is a special game because it's one of the few sports in the world where you can have 15-23 players of different shapes and sizes," McCaffrey said. "No matter the shape or size, you can still play successfully at the top level. To me, bringing in these rules eliminates that beauty of rugby.

"There's better ways to reduce head knocks and foul play in rugby union. The foundations of the game make it so unique and they should not be changed to make it less unique.

"World Rugby should be investing more in grassroots coaching and improvement in that area. They should be teaching coaches to teach good technique rather than drastically changing the laws of rugby."

To reduce the risk of high contact, McCaffrey feels repeat offenders should be punished severely through lengthy suspensions.

"We're often seeing repeat offenders suspended for a week here or there but they keep doing the same thing," he said. "That's a worse look for mum and dad's turning on the TV and seeing incidents like that.

"That's where the laws need to remove those players from the game for longer periods of time. We shouldn't be damaging the beauty of rugby for everyone else who wants to follow the rules."

The proposed changes come at a particularly precarious time for rugby in Australia. With the British and Irish Lions touring in 2025 and men's and women's World Cups in 2027 and 2029 on our shores, the national governing body is desperate to leverage those events to help grow the sport.

The are fears, however, the crackdown on contact to the head will change the nature of the game and drive more people away, with rugby league one of multiple potential beneficiaries.

Fans have already voiced their displeasure with previous efforts to eliminate high contact, the influence of the TMO on matches a particular source of frustration. A further tightening of rules could disenfranchise more supporters and seriously impact the sport's future in Australia.

The proposed changes have been pitched as a global trial, with World Rugby vowing to assess their impact on safety once they have been rolled out.

For Royals general manager of rugby Wayne Jones, it's vital all consequences of the trial are investigated before the laws are rushed through.

"If they do trial it, I hope they haven't prejudiced the decision to make changes already," Jones said. "I hope they haven't made a commitment to change and hope they look at the trials openly and honestly. As long as they do that and come to the right decision, I'm happy to endorse it."

Given Friday's announcement came from World Rugby, there is an acceptance the rules will be implemented in Australia.

Now, the challenge will be to adapt to ensure players are able to avoid unnecessary penalties.

Queanbeyan operations manager Robbie Coleman identified discipline as crucial to his side's run to the 2022 John I Dent premiership and he said that will not change, even if the rules do.

"Whatever rule changes happen, you've got to adapt to it," he said.

"We have a big focus around discipline and it's no secret our discipline got better towards the end of the season and that correlated with seven wins in a row.

"Regardless of the rules, we'll accept it, adapt to it and continue to stick to the rules."

For new Uni-Norths coach Lachie Creighton, the proposed changes present an opportunity to get ahead of the curve.

Reducing the tackle height will have a significant impact on the way the game is played, with offloads increasing, mauls decreasing and two-player tackles become less common.

While many fear the changes could lead to a penalty-laden contest, Creighton is hopeful the increase in attacking opportunities will be turned into a positive.

"A lot of it stems back to the environment you create as a coach," Creighton said. "If it's a learning environment and players are open and willing and trust you, they can adapt to those changes.

"If it's successful, then it could turn rugby into a more attacking style of game. With single-person tackles and more offloads, it could lead to more tries.

"We'll try to get ahead of the game but until it's black and white in front of you in the John I Dent Cup, it will be business as usual for us at the Owls."

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