Lower tackle height trial extended to World Rugby U20 Championship 2026

• Legal tackle height set at the sternum in line with community trials
• Community tackle height trials have shown positive results, behaviour change and positive game experience
• Associated law changes for ball carriers to also be trialed to protect the unique characteristics of the sport
• Next steps to be considered following the conclusion of tournament, collection of both data and player feedback

Successful trials of a lower tackle height at the sternum in community rugby will be introduced to elite rugby for the first time at the  World Rugby U20 Championship 2026 which will take place in Georgia.

World Rugby trials over the last two seasons involving 11 unions around the world have shown that a lower legal tackle height has changed player behaviour and some unions have reported a reduction in in concussion rates, albeit over a single season to date

Following the findings from the community game of up to a 10 per cent reduction in the number of upright tackles, the World Rugby Executive Board took the decision to recommend to Council that those opt-in trials become full law at community level from July 2026. World Rugby can now also announce that it has approved the request from unions to expand the trial into a closed trial at the elite rugby level.

The World Rugby U20  Championship trial will include a number of associated law measures designed to protect the character of the sport and all of which have also proved successful at community level. These trials include:

• Allowing for “pick and go” actions near rucks and for players in the act of scoring, where the sternum becomes much harder to tackle below due to the lower ball carrier.
• Sanctioning ball carriers who lead dangerously with their head into contact.
• Permitting double tackles, provided the first tackler makes contact below the sternum.

Trialing these laws within a single competition allows for teams to properly prepare to play under the amended laws.  Referees will have time to focus on ensuring law is practically applied and players will not be expected to move between different law environments, which has proved a concern in the past. An intensive programme of education and training will be undertaken.

The outcome of this trial will be assessed against safety and spectacle metrics before any further elite trials are considered. Any change to the game as a whole will require a robust evidence base, and support of the World Rugby Council.  

Limited trials of a lower tackle height are the latest in a long line of measures in elite rugby focused on player welfare.  World Rugby has introduced a long line of measures using law, such as the Head Contact Process and sanctions, technology through smart mouthguards and player education.  Analysis of 20,000 tackles across the elite game has shown these measures have achieved a similar level of positive behaviour change to lowering the legal tackle height in community rugby, where the number of upright tackles fell by between 8 per cent and 10 per cent.

The law trial has been recommended following broad consultation with the whole game including specialist working groups with representatives from: International Rugby Players Association, International Rugby Match Officials, Six Nations, United Rugby Championship, Major League Rugby, Ligue National de Rugby, Rugby Football Union, South Africa Rugby Union, SANZAAR Rugby, Fédération Française de Rugby and independent experts.

World Rugby Chairman Dr Brett Robinson said: “Player welfare is at the heart of everything World Rugby does.  We’ll leave no stone left unturned in our efforts to make the game as safe as it can be.  Having said that, protecting what makes rugby, rugby is a vital part of my role.  We’ll undertake this trial, study it closely to ensure we have a game and a U20 Championship that excites players and fans alike.”  

World Rugby Chief Player Welfare and Rugby Services Officer Mark Harrington said “World Rugby has always said that when it comes to player welfare we’ll protect the character of our game and we will always follow the science.  The trials so far in the community game have shown some really positive results and we need to look at how we can use that new information to benefit the game as a whole.  

“Unions have asked us to trial a lower tackle height at the elite level and the U20 Championship is the best place to begin that journey.  It is important to stress that we’re a long, long way from changing the law at the elite level at this point.  However, if this and subsequent trials show positive results across all player welfare, player feedback and fan enjoyment perspectives, then as a sport we need to embrace that.”

Chair of World Rugby’s Men’s High Performance Committee and FFR representative Abdel Benazzi said “Unions, including the FFR, have been keen to explore a lower tackle height in the elite game for some time. Especially after the success we have achieved in our own community game.  Through the U20 World Championships we can achieve this without asking most players to play in a variety of environments and many will have grown up with a lower legal tackle height. We look forward to seeing the outcomes next year.”