World Rugby will introduce a lower legal tackle height at elite level for the first time when it trials the law at the World Rugby U20 Championship in 2026, to be held in Georgia.
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The move follows two seasons of successful community-level trials and marks a significant step in the sport’s ongoing focus on player welfare.
Under the trial, the legal tackle height will be set at the sternum, mirroring the law that has already been tested extensively in the community game. Those trials, involving 11 unions worldwide, have shown encouraging signs of positive behaviour change among players, with some unions also reporting reductions in concussion rates over a single season.
Community data indicated up to a 10 per cent reduction in upright tackles, prompting the World Rugby Executive Board to recommend that opt-in trials become full law at community level from July 2026. In response to requests from unions, World Rugby has now approved a closed elite-level trial, beginning with the U20 Championship.
Protecting both players and the character of the game
Alongside the lower tackle height, the U20 Championship trial will include a number of associated law measures designed to preserve the unique characteristics of rugby while improving safety. These measures, all of which have been tested successfully in the community game, include:
- Allowing “pick and go” actions close to rucks and in scoring situations, where tackling below the sternum becomes more difficult due to the ball carrier’s body position
- Sanctioning ball carriers who lead dangerously with their head into contact
- Permitting double tackles, provided the first tackler makes contact below the sternum
Running the trial within a single, closed competition will allow teams and referees to prepare properly and apply the law consistently. Players will not be required to switch between different law environments, an issue that has caused concern in previous trials.
A comprehensive education and training programme will support players, coaches and match officials throughout the tournament.
Evidence-led next steps
The trial will be assessed using both safety and spectacle metrics, as well as player feedback, before any further elite-level trials are considered. World Rugby has stressed that any wider law change would require a robust evidence base and the support of the World Rugby Council.
Lower tackle height trials are part of a broader package of player-welfare initiatives introduced in the elite game in recent years. These include the Head Contact Process, enhanced sanctions, smart mouthguard technology and education programmes.
Analysis of more than 20,000 tackles in elite rugby has shown that these measures have delivered similar behaviour changes to those seen in community rugby, where upright tackles fell by between 8 and 10 per cent.
The law trial follows extensive consultation across the game, involving specialist working groups and representatives from the International Rugby Players Association, International Rugby Match Officials, Six Nations, United Rugby Championship, Major League Rugby, Ligue Nationale de Rugby, Rugby Football Union, South Africa Rugby Union, SANZAAR, Fédération Française de Rugby and independent experts.
World Rugby Chairman Dr Brett Robinson said:
“Player welfare is at the heart of everything World Rugby does. We’ll leave no stone left unturned in our efforts to make the game as safe as it can be. Having said that, protecting what makes rugby, rugby is a vital part of my role. We’ll undertake this trial, study it closely to ensure we have a game and a U20 Championship that excites players and fans alike.”
World Rugby Chief Player Welfare and Rugby Services Officer Mark Harrington added:
“World Rugby has always said that when it comes to player welfare we’ll protect the character of our game and we will always follow the science. The trials so far in the community game have shown some really positive results and we need to look at how we can use that new information to benefit the game as a whole.
“Unions have asked us to trial a lower tackle height at the elite level and the U20 Championship is the best place to begin that journey. It is important to stress that we’re a long, long way from changing the law at the elite level at this point.
“However, if this and subsequent trials show positive results across all player welfare, player feedback and fan enjoyment perspectives, then as a sport we need to embrace that.”
Chair of World Rugby’s Men’s High Performance Committee and FFR representative Abdel Benazzi said:
“Unions, including the FFR, have been keen to explore a lower tackle height in the elite game for some time. Especially after the success we have achieved in our own community game.
“Through the U20 World Championships we can achieve this without asking most players to play in a variety of environments and many will have grown up with a lower legal tackle height. We look forward to seeing the outcomes next year.”
“Goodbye, caterpillar ruck” – Five more rugby law changes for 2026
n this piece, we spotlight four specific laws that deserve reconsideration—proposed not out of criticism, but from a deep respect for the game and a passion to see it continue to thrive for players and fans alike.
World Rugby has shown a readiness to adapt in recent years—these ideas could mark the next step in that ongoing evolution.
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1. No more draws
Rugby is one of the most thrilling sports in the world, but draws often leave players and fans frustrated. After 80 minutes of hard-fought action, neither team winning can feel unsatisfying and anticlimactic. Introducing golden point—where the first score in extra time wins—would give matches a clear, decisive ending.
Golden point also encourages attacking rugby. Teams would be pushed to take risks, go for tries, or attempt drop goals rather than playing safe for a draw. Every possession would matter even more, and fans would be treated to the kind of high-stakes drama that other sports, like rugby league and AFL, have long enjoyed.
It would make competitions simpler and fairer too. League tables, knockout tournaments, and international fixtures often rely on tiebreakers to separate teams after draws. Golden point ensures there’s always a winner on the scoreboard, rewarding performance rather than chance or points difference.
Player welfare concerns can be managed by limiting extra time to short bursts—say two five-minute halves or a first-score-wins rule within 10 minutes—keeping the game exciting without overtaxing athletes.
Golden point wouldn’t just make rugby more exciting—it would make it fairer, more competitive, and in tune with the modern expectation that every game should have a winner. With more tight contests in both club and international rugby, there’s never been a better time to adopt it.
2. Fewer Substitutions
Rugby has changed significantly over the years, and one of the biggest shifts is how the bench is used. These days, teams often bring on almost an entirely new forward pack late in the game. Big, fresh players crash into tired defenders, making the final 20 minutes less about skill and endurance, and more about brute force. Many fans and former players feel this has turned rugby into a collision sport rather than a contest of stamina and intelligence.
Reducing the number of substitutions would encourage players to pace themselves. Space would open up in the second half, creating more opportunities for creative play rather than endless phases of pick-and-go. It would reward fitness, smart decision-making, and those capable of performing for the full 80 minutes.
Fewer substitutions wouldn’t just make the game more exciting—it would make it fairer, safer, and more in line with the spirit of what rugby has always been about.
With the rise of 6–2 and even 7–1 bench splits, pioneered by Rassie Erasmus, the trend seems to be heading in the opposite direction. That’s all the more reason to act now.
