The slow march to lower tackle heights across the whole sport appears unlikely to stop. After the tournament’s opening weekend, following a number of controversial incidents including high tackles, World Rugby publicly criticised their own officials. Plenty would counter by saying that World Rugby caved to coaches who were unwilling to sufficiently change player behaviour. Away from the evidence of past behaviour, some have been outspoken on their lack of support for sternum tackles. World Rugby bringing in a lower tackle height to next year’s Under-20 Worlds is a significant step for three reasons.

Source: The Irish Times December 17, 2025 22:49 UTC