TACKLING is undoubtedly a crucial part of rugby. Being able to bring the opposition down as they’re tearing towards the try line is seen as one of the most fun elements of the game by players old and young.

But that vital part of the sport could be in jeopardy if a group of doctors and medical experts have their way.

More than 70 of them have signed an open letter to ministers and medical officers calling for a ban on tackling in the sport, citing a number of reasons including the risk of serious injury among under 18s.

They say that it’s down to tackling that youngsters are fracturing bones, tearing ligaments and getting all other kinds of injuries playing rugby.

But for many involved in the game, especially the ones teaching it to youngsters, the notion of not being able to tackle an opponent is a frightening prospect.


Barbara Gower Barbara Gower, chairman of the youth section at Carlisle Rugby Club, has been involved in the game for many years, including seven as a coach.

She says: “My view is fairly similar to what other rugby coaches have been saying, it’s all about coaching the game properly and having skilled coaches. The Rugby Football Union (RFU) brought in age group rugby and it’s about making sure we are doing the appropriate stuff for the appropriate age and that everything is as safe as possible. It’s a collision sport and we can’t deny that.”

And the former Carlisle Ladies player believes people should be focusing more on the benefits the sport can give to youngsters, such as teamwork and camaraderie.

“Juniors start with touch rugby and that’s fun but it’s not the full game.

“You introduce tackling gradually, for example at schools they start in secondary school.

“It would be a different game, without tackling rugby isn’t rugby,” she adds.

“In all the time I’ve been coaching, I’ve never had a serious injury [to one of my players].

“Never a broken bone or a dislocation that would require hospital treatment. They are very few and far between, if they are coached to tackle properly it shouldn’t be an issue. The risk of injury is much lower.”


Jeremy Tiffen Barbara’s thoughts are echoed by Jeremy Tiffen, the director of sport at Austin Friars St Monica’s School in Carlisle. “When I first saw the story I was a bit worried about it because I think it paints rugby in a negative light,” he says.

“I just felt it was a bit biased towards injuries, which do occur, but that’s part and parcel of sports. But I also felt that the positive mental benefits and social benefits that you get from playing rugby have been disregarded. I’ve seen a lot of lads that have been able to boost their self-esteem and control their aggression through rugby. You can’t measure the positive effects that rugby gives to those children.

“That’s especially true in school where children don’t feel they can reach their potential in the classroom but if they can do that on the games field then that’s a big boost.

“There’s no other sport like rugby that can give the children those really important physical benefits. If you simply remove the tackling then you lose a huge amount of that because it’s an essential part of the game, I don’t think that’s the way forward.”

<hr>

What the medical experts and academics say:

“We, the undersigned, are sport scholars, academics, doctors, and public health professionals, who have become increasingly concerned about the harms and risks of injuries to children playing school rugby. Our concerns are as follows.

“First, rugby is a high-impact collision sport. Studies show that the risks of injuries for those aged under 18 years are high and injuries are often serious. Second, many secondary schools in the United Kingdom deliver contact rugby as a compulsory part of the physical education curriculum from age eleven. Third, the majority of all injuries occur during contact or collision, such as the tackle and the scrum.

“These injuries which include fractures, ligamentous tears, dislocated shoulders, spinal injuries and head injuries can have short-term, life-long, and life-ending consequences for children. Fourth, head injury and concussion is a common injury and repeat concussion is more likely when a player has a history of a previous concussion.

“A link has been found between repeat concussions and cognitive impairment and an association with depression, memory loss and diminished verbal abilities, as well as longer term problems. Children take longer to recover to normal levels on memory, reaction speed and post-concussive symptoms than adults.

“Fifth, studies show that injuries from rugby can result in significant time loss from school. Rugby injury, disillusionment with the game and interference with education, are the most common reasons for children giving up rugby.

“We are also concerned about the government’s plan in England to increase participation in rugby in schools. Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 17), governments have a duty to inform children about risks of injury. Yet, in the absence of a comprehensive system for injury surveillance and primary prevention this cannot occur. These evidence-based concerns lead us to consider it necessary to remove the collision elements of the school game so that children play touch and non-contact rugby.”

Mr Tiffen adds that it would be “foolish” to completely disregard the opinions of those medical experts, but suggests there might be other ways to further reduce the risk of injury in school rugby. He cites an example in New Zealand where youngsters are grouped by physical ability, rather than age.

In a statement on its website, the game’s governing body in England says: “The RFU takes player safety extremely seriously and this is at the core of all the training of coaches, referees, medics and the players themselves, at all levels of the game.

“Rugby is a fantastic sport for children, bringing many physical and social benefits, including increased confidence, self-esteem and self-discipline, and enjoyable physical exercise as part of a team. Teachers constantly comment on off-pitch behaviour improvements when rugby is introduced in school.”

The RFU adds that significant work has been undertaken over a number of years to develop new rules of play to ensure maximum possible safety, with a structured progression to cover the introduction, playing, teaching and refereeing of the game from under sevens to under 18s.

Their statement continues: “The new rules of play provide building blocks to the 15-a-side game, allowing players time to get to grips with the basics before contact and specialism is gradually introduced. These will be implemented across the country in both schools and clubs from September 2016.”

Anne Pickles column:   Tackling? Get a grip! Every aspect of life carries risk of injury