Current and former professional players have reacted angrily to the Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) plan to enforce waist-height tackling in amateur rugby across England, amid talk that World Rugby could do the same.

In effect from July 1, all players at age grade and senior amateur level in England will be required to make waistline or lower tackles. This comes shortly after a group of 55 players from the amateur era reportedly sent a letter of claim to World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union and the RFU to launch their lawsuit over possible brain injuries.

With segments of the media driving the perception that rugby is unsafe beyond some undefined threshold and that there is a ‘concussion crisis’, the law is part of a movement to make rugby a sport that showcases fewer big collisions.

However, the decision has been met with a flurry of outrage, not to mention the counter-productive results of recent attempts to lower tackle height in the professional ranks.

Former Namibia international and Saracens loose forward Jacques Burger questioned whether the law change would have the unintended impact of injuring tacklers.

Trials on compulsory waist down tackles is crazy. Ball carriers being protected but who is looking after the tackler? There will be so many neck and head injuries during this. Abandon. #rugbytrials #rugbylaws #playersafety #rugby @WorldRugby

— Jacques Burger (@Nabasboer) January 20, 2023

Using the example of his father Gerard, who played and coached rugby league in England, cricketer Ben Stokes also raised concerns about potential neck injuries to tacklers.

Small sample.
My Dad’s professional career got ended earlier due to a broken neck from a knee to the head whilst tackling.
Would you rather concussion or broken neck? https://t.co/5NPCYy6dc9

— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) January 20, 2023

🤯 https://t.co/Z9F0wevqox

— Joe Marler (@JoeMarler) January 19, 2023

London-based Australian forward Ollie Hoskins said similar trials conducted in the English Championship showed that there would be more concussions if the law change was made permanent.

🏉To support player welfare, RFU Council agreed on Monday 16th January to lower the height of the tackle across the community game (Age Grade & Adult) from 1st July 2023

Find out more about the law change, including rationale, next steps & training support to be provided⬇️

— Rugby Football Union (@RFU) January 19, 2023

I was part of the trial of similar laws during the Championship Cup season a few years ago… we literally had exponentially more concussions because of it.

Tackle choice is situational and forcing low tackles in all cases is even more dangerous

I think the trial showed this 🤦🏼‍♂️

— Oliver Hoskins (@omdhoskins) January 19, 2023