That has been the overwhelming reaction from rugby fans after rising Australian star Treyon Pritchard suffered a horrific leg injury during the Junior World Championship.
The 19-year-old Junior Wallabies prospect was left screaming in agony after being brought down from behind by Wales scrum-half Sion Davies, with the tackle appearing to trap Pritchard’s lower leg underneath the defender’s body weight.
Pritchard suffered a broken right fibula and a syndesmosis injury, with the talented youngster now set to undergo surgery when he returns from Georgia on Thursday.
The incident has reignited debate around the hip-drop tackle, with many supporters calling on World Rugby to follow the lead of the NRL and NFL, where the technique has already been outlawed.
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Fans demand World Rugby acts
Social media was flooded with calls for the governing body to ban the tackle following Pritchard’s injury.
One fan wrote: “Hip-drop tackles should be banned.”
Another posted: “Hip drop tackle. Hearing it’s a broken ankle but not confirmed. CFL needs to ban hip drop tackles like the NFL to prevent those.”
Others questioned why rugby has yet to introduce a specific law.
“Playing devil’s advocate, there’s a reason the NFL have banned this type of ‘hip drop’ tackle.”
“Why isn’t this tackle outlawed in rugby?”
And another simply asked: “One other question, when is rugby going to ban the hip-drop tackle?”
Why isn’t the hip-drop tackle banned in rugby?
Unlike the NRL and NFL, rugby union does not have a specific law outlawing hip-drop tackles.
Instead, referees rely on World Rugby Law 9.13, which states:
“A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously.”
That leaves officials to decide whether a hip-drop tackle is dangerous enough to warrant a penalty or further sanction.
In Pritchard’s case, Irish referee Robbie Jenkinson did not penalise Davies for the challenge.
However, New Zealand Rugby has previously encouraged referees in the community game to clamp down on hip-drop tackles by applying existing dangerous tackle laws in an effort to reduce the risk of serious lower-leg injuries.
With another young player’s season now over, pressure is mounting on World Rugby to consider whether a dedicated law change is needed.
