One of world rugby’s toughest men has rubbished the introduction of what has been dubbed the “nipple rule”.
In an effort to halt the increase in head injuries and concussion, World Rugby will trial rule changes at under-20 competitions starting this week in France that lower the height of tackles.
As part of the trial, the acceptable height of a tackle will be lowered from the shoulders to “below the nipple line”, according to the governing body.
High tackle warnings will also be trialled in the World Rugby Under 20 Championship starting this week, with two warnings resulting in an automatic one-match suspension.
The announcement was met with widespread ridicule online, but Queensland Reds coach and former All Blacks lock Brad Thorn was perhaps the most critical of the move.
“Soon it’ll be the belly button … where’s it going to go, where’s it going to end?,” Thorn said after his side’s 18-15 loss to the Highlanders on Saturday.
“For me, I’m just pleased I’m retired because (when he played) you could just cut loose.
Thorn believes the rule, if imposed at international level, will detract from the spectacle of the sport and make it even harder for rugby’s big men to play by the rules.
“If you look at the UFC and MMA or whatever, it just keeps growing because you see two people go to war, physically … and there is so much respect between them at the end,” he said.
“I still reckon the (rugby) crowds enjoy some contact, some physicality.
“If someone is deliberately picking a guy up and spear tackling or someone deliberately takes someone’s head off then yeah, definitely, that needs to be sorted out.
“When you’re like (Reds lock Izack) Rodda – 6’7″, 6’8″, 120kg, trying to play aggressive, coming in hard – it’s not always easy.”
Retired Wallaby Drew Mitchell said on Twitter the proposal would only increase the grey area in the code’s rule book and turn the sport into “touch rugby”.
Many others jokingly suggested it would lead to topless rugby so referees could properly adjudicate the nipple line, given that not everyone’s nipples were at the same height.
World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said the aim of the trial was to change player behaviour by lowering the acceptable height of the tackle.
“As a rugby father with sons playing at the elite and community level, I am committed to ensuring that rugby remains at the forefront of injury prevention, specifically in the area of concussion,” he said.
piru
Roar Rookie
No but we make constant and continuous adjustments, improvements and regulations to make them safer. A modern car is a thousand times* safer in an accident than one from 30 years ago *Hyperbole used for emphasis, no need to correct me
Tuc Du Nard
Guest
Why don't they just have a nipple stripe or painted on nipple on the jersey?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Yes hero. Go on and tell others how tough they should be and how hard you were back in your day. Here in reality people are stopping playing because more frequent injuries affect their ability to work. Anything that tries to reduce that should be supported.
RedandBlack
Guest
Of course you do - and the star of yr team no doubt. I can tell. I regret breaching my no DH policy to engage in this. So I’ll trot back into the real world and leave you to manage the universe rotating around yr nethers.
Slat
Guest
Nipple, ahhhhh does this apply to women’s rugby, well, Women’s nipple can be higher lower depending on size not so much for men.?????
Nobody
Guest
It's less of a choice than it appears to be TWAS. Outside of a game, sure, practising technique is the focus, but within a game it's herculean defensive effort first and self-preservation long forgotten. You'll never hear a player say "I couldn't have tacked him without hurting myself, so I let him score the try." (AndyS covered the point on head clashes)
Train without a station
Guest
Because you just want to answer a question with your own question? I still play actually. Got zero time for people who aren’t playing tell others who are how tough they should be. The game is faster than it was and more injuries occur.
Ralph
Roar Guru
It is not possible to play contact sport without injury. That is life. The number two cause of head injuries is car accidents. But we don't ban cars.
piru
Roar Rookie
Clearly a Lollipop Guild funded conspiracy
piru
Roar Rookie
Oh I thought the point was that if we stop people tackling higher than the nipples western society would collapse.
Ralph
Roar Guru
"if fees went up" That's the point Piru. What was once called normal life is now a high risk lawsuit. How and why has that happened?
RedandBlack
Guest
Don't you want toanswer the question? You should do -its all about you.
Mr Hollywood
Guest
I would simply have plastic surgery and place the nipples on the knees.
Linphoma
Guest
In baseball a strike is called if the ball passes under "the letters" on the jersey (uniform) - the team logo. I cringe at nipple associations. I still have cold-sweat nightmares over the day I walked in on my grandmother as she was taking a shower and saw where her nipple line was...... Couldn't tackle below that.....
piru
Roar Rookie
Look, all you lot who won't think of the children need to calm your hysterics a bit. I was instructed 5 or 6 years ago to look hard at any tackles above the nipple line (or the patch / crest on the jersey if that's easier to think about) - it's not about removing tackles above the waist, but to give a clear understanding of what's high and what's not. If you hit an inch above the nipps and no harm comes of it, then fine play on - if you hit in the same spot and slide up into the neck or head, it's a lot easier to say it was a high tackle than get into the murky area of intent or where did he first make the hit and did he slide up. Net change will be negligible and may apply to one or two tackles per game, you watch. And slippery slopers, have a lie down you're just being silly
AndyS
Guest
If it was head clashes, it would apply equally to both tackler and tacklee. A tackler might have control over how he approaches a tackle, but none at all over ball carriers leading with elbows, or dropping their shoulders into the tackle (which is almost guaranteed to make high contact with the tackling player), or shifting their hips/changing their line when the tackler is already committed. A large percentage of tackles are head on attacking the line, and the tackled player very much has control over how that contact is made. So until WR address those things with the same enthusiasm they have shown for the lesser issue, I can't see how they have really achieved much or minimised their liability. The NFL has set the precedent, and they were all playing the game as they were both taught and expected to play the game.
Train without a station
Guest
The difference is as a tackler you have the choice to attempt and how to attempt a tackle. As a tacklee you have no choice in if and how the tackler makes contact. Then of course there’s the consideration that the 2.6 times more likely stat also includes head clashes due to high contact.
Sage
Roar Rookie
So the game has been absolutely ruined as a spectacle. Gee there are an awful lot who don't realise that Kirky. They wouldn't be the "smart boys" though I guess. But the others are the bad guys and they are also the smart boys which as you indicate, would exclude you. I'm confused. So most would rather watch the AB's from say the 60's than now ? The Haka too I suppose. Dunno about that. I remember the good ol' days in the building industry too. Now they have to have stupid scaffold and safety plans and use safety equipment. It's been absolutely ruined. I know lots of guys who could count on the fingers of one hand, but only to 3. Yep, fond memories of rakish eyepatches, fingerless gloves, mesothelioma. Ruined. Yes sir, back in the day it was pretty much a case of just going for it flat out with nothing to worry about.
Hahaha.
Sage
Roar Rookie
You had previously struck me as someone with more insight in a given situation. This kind of talk is baseless - I won't use the word hysteria - but you get the point. I imagine you were around when rucking was de rigueur and the nonsense spruiked when that was outlawed. We heard all the same over the top chicken little statements then too.