World Rugby has outlined new measures that include a full-contact training cap of 15 minutes per week in an attempt to limit injuries.
The new guidelines, formed after a study that involved 600 players from around the world as well as medical, conditioning and performance professionals, also recommended no more than 40 minutes of controlled contract training and 30 minutes of set-piece work each week.
The study found that between 35-40 per cent of injuries occur during training and that a drop from about 21 minutes of full-contact training currently averaged would have positive spin-offs on injury and short and long-term player welfare.
The guidelines, which are not mandatory but could be set in stone before the 2023 World Cup, attempt to “strike a balance” so players, particularly those moving between country and club, can be prepared to perform but avoid an elevated injury risk at the same time.
The change, which follows the National Football League’s decision to place limits on full-contact training in 2011, is World Rugby’s latest effort to make the sport safer.
Tougher officiating of high and dangerous contact in tackles and collisions continues to be a talking point at all levels, with players now aware a red card and lengthy suspension is likely for any contact to an opponent’s head.
“Training has increasingly played an important role in injury-prevention as well as performance,” World Rugby’s director of rugby and high performance and former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt said.
“While there is a lot less full contact training than many people might imagine, it is our hope that having a central set of guidelines will further inform players and coaches of key considerations for any contact that is done during training.
“We recognise that community level rugby can be an almost entirely different sport in terms of fitness levels, resources and how players can be expected to train, but the guidelines can be applied at many levels, especially the planning, purpose and monitoring of any contact in training.”
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
Not sure what is more stupid… this or the 2 year World Cup cycle. Time to vote out the people running this game before we have no game left.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
Or foot to the face.
Crusher_13
Roar Rookie
At lower ages this will have some positive effects. It will reduce soft tissue injuries in under 8s to 13s. But only because they will have less actual contact, unless of course they need to tackle that 100kg monster that needs a birth certificate each week. I think in lower levels of open rugby and under 14s up it will cause some problems. A lot of guys love to make the viral monster hit, that hit is just getting the basics right. And practice of the basics is what keeps both players safe. Maybe a change in the laws to celebrate low tackles would be beneficial. One on one low tackle no need to roll out or release the tackled player… I can see it being hard to officiate, but i can also see teams training it and wanting that low tackle (also plenty of chance for offloads)
Mario
Roar Rookie
My question is what will this do to attacking rugby, especially off 1st phase ball. It's been a while since I played the game, but it took a few run throughs to get a move ready to the point that you would consider running it in a game. With the guideline for set piee work set at 30 minutes per week, you barely have enough time to go over old stuff let alone develop new stuff.
1997 Brumbies
Roar Rookie
The weird thing is this is already happening. Harlequins in the Premiership were wearing special tech mouthguards that recorded head impacts in game and training. As a result they decided to significantly reduce contact training for the players who were playing most games. As a result they went on to claim the 2020/21 prem and mentioned this tech in a few interviews as being part of their success. Players where carrying less injuries and were physically in better shape by the end of the season. Seems odd to mandate this kind of decrease in training, Im sure most (if not all) pro rugby teams are wanting their players fitter for longer. The technology exists for this kind of a approach to be applied on a circumstantial basis rather than an overriding rule. Of course teams without access to this kind of technology (amateurs mostly) can be advised through the various coaching certificates about ideal contact training time (not that it will ever be policed) and further proven by data and results from the professionals.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
So true! It got me serious about Rugby. It’s a shame how things have changed, WR have a lot to answer for to be honest.
piru
Roar Rookie
It's character building!
Tim J
Roar Rookie
I brought down the biggest kid (Samoan Mountain) when I was 10, he disc located my shoulder. He asked me if I was ok, I said yes as you just showed me that my tackling technique needs improvement. We became good mates because of bull rush
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Agree! They are all dopes with scrambled brains.
piru
Roar Rookie
I once brought down the standard 2 teacher at Rakaia when I was 9 - good times
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Bull rush at primary school, oh the good old days :happy:
Big A
Roar Rookie
sounds like rugby is going the same way the rest of society - everyone can just stand around and look at their mobiles instead of contact training - it's all in google - rugby is at a real cross roads - not sure it's sustainable for too much longer the way the world is becoming
Rhys
Roar Rookie
I think Suzie has been re-employed in the WR cafeteria.
Die hard
Roar Rookie
It was always going to affect some teams more than others :stoked:
piru
Roar Rookie
I think someone needs to investigate what was in the brownies they had at their recent meeting - these all sound like high ideas
piru
Roar Rookie
Different world isn't it? Teachers used to get involved and all, I remember one day we ended up with an extra 20 minutes of lunch because everyone was on the pitch playing.
freddieeffer
Roar Rookie
play full contact bullrush ..... you'd get suspended for 2 days for that these days :laughing:
piru
Roar Rookie
You’d reckon with less practice, players would put themselves in danger more often… poor positioning etc? 100% you can learn all the footwork, positioning etc you want in walk through, slow mo half contact etc, but it doesn't mean diddly till you're up against a bloke trying to run you over. We use to play full contact bullrush at lunchtimes in primary school - is that no longer allowed either?
PeterK
Roar Guru
Surely the total workload is what matters, so you look at the number of games a year combined with training workloads if you want to reduce contact that causes head injuries. Of course that would mean the Euro teams would be disadvantaged in tests since their players play a lot more club games, so no way would WR allow that since those countries dominate the voting. A political outcome that looks fair but it doesn't do what it is supposed to.
piru
Roar Rookie
Unless they have an auditor for each player at all times, it would seem unenforceable, wouldn't it?