Rugby: New rule 'means more will get hurt'

Photo / Chris Skelton

Rugby's new rule putting the backs 5m behind the scrum will result in more injuries, say safety researchers.

This is because it gives players more time to reach top speed before they hit the "tackle zone".

The warning comes as the All Blacks meet Australia in tonight's Bledisloe Cup match in Sydney.

The researchers analysed videos of more than 140,000 tackles in professional NZ rugby matches and found high speed, being tackled from behind and being tackled around the head and neck greatly increased risk of injury.

The tackles were in 434 matches involving the All Blacks and other professional teams between 2003 and 2005. They resulted in 100 ball-carriers and 111 tacklers leaving the field injured.

The study was done in conjunction with the NZ Rugby Union and ACC as part of efforts to make the game safer.

Its authors, Drs Ken Quarrie and Will Hopkins, of the Auckland University of Technology, found backs have a higher rate of injuries than forwards and they say this is probably because they are often sprinting when they make tackles.

The 5m rule "will probably increase the risk of injury" by increasing the space for acceleration before opponents clash in the tackle zone.

But former All Black Michael Jones, known for his tough tackles - and his trademark comment, "It's better to give than receive" - doubted the new rule would affect tackling speed and injury rates. "Most athletes in these kinds of collision sports are trained to get to top speed within the first two or three strides," he said.

Jones dismissed the suggestion that players be coached to drop to the ground if a tackler jumps on their back while they are running, rather than battling on to win a few extra metres while carrying a 100kg-plus load. The research paper say these piggy-back tackles cause some of the more severe injuries to knees and ankles.

It suggests the trade-off for forgoing a couple of metres in an attacking move could be not losing a player to injury and extended convalescence.

But Jones can't envisage people accepting such a fundamental change to the game. "Any rugby player's instinct is to get over the advantage line and make as many yards as possible. That's your job description. I don't see how you are going to change that mindset unless there's a law ... That ain't going to happen."

The paper is one of a series in Dr Quarrie's thesis for his PhD degree, awarded by AUT this week.