New Rugby Law Explained: World Rugby Trials Lower Tackle Height
World Rugby has confirmed that a lower legal tackle height, set at the sternum, will be trialled at elite level for the first time at the World Rugby U20 Championship in 2026. The tournament will be staged in Georgia and will serve as a controlled testing ground for a law change that has already been widely trialled in the community game.
lThe decision follows two seasons of global trials and extensive consultation across the sport. While the law will not apply to senior professional or international rugby at this stage, its introduction at U20 level marks a significant moment in World Rugby’s ongoing approach to player welfare.
What the World Rugby New Law Is
Under the trial, the maximum legal tackle height will be lowered to the sternum. Tackles that make initial contact above that point will be considered illegal and sanctioned in line with existing dangerous play frameworks.
The sternum has been chosen as a clear and consistent reference point, following feedback from community competitions where the change has already been tested. World Rugby believes this provides greater clarity for players and referees, particularly in fast-moving contact situations.
The law trial will be applied throughout the entire U20 Championship, ensuring teams, referees and officials operate within a single law environment for the duration of the competition.
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Why World Rugby Is Making This Change
The move is based on evidence gathered from community-level trials involving 11 unions over the past two seasons. Those trials showed a clear shift in player behaviour, with a reduction in upright tackles and improved tackle technique.
Some unions reported a reduction in concussion rates during the trial periods, although World Rugby has been careful to stress that this data currently covers a limited timeframe. The governing body has framed the findings as encouraging rather than conclusive.
Across the community game, the number of upright tackles fell by between eight and ten per cent. On the back of those findings, the World Rugby Executive Board has recommended that opt-in tackle height trials become full law at community level from July 2026, subject to Council approval.
The U20 Championship trial represents the next step: testing whether similar behaviour changes can be achieved in an elite-age competition without altering the character of the sport.
How the Law Will Work in Practice
The trial will include several associated law measures, all of which have already been tested at community level and are designed to preserve rugby’s core contest.
Referees will allow reasonable tolerance for pick-and-go situations near the ruck and for players in the act of scoring, where a low body position can make a sternum-height tackle impractical.
Ball carriers will also be held accountable. Players who lead into contact dangerously with their head will be sanctioned, reinforcing shared responsibility in collision safety.
Double tackles will remain legal, provided the first tackler makes contact below the sternum. World Rugby has been clear that the law is not intended to weaken defensive systems or remove dominant tackles, but to change the point of initial contact.
A dedicated education and training programme will support the trial, with referees given time to focus on practical application and teams able to prepare specifically for the amended laws.
Why the U20 World Championship Is the Testing Ground
World Rugby has identified the U20 Championship as the most appropriate environment for an elite trial. The competition sits at the transition point between age-grade and professional rugby, making it well suited to assessing behavioural adaptation.
Holding the trial within a single tournament avoids the issue of players switching between different law interpretations during a season — a concern raised during previous trials. Many participants will also have grown up playing under lower tackle height laws in the community game.
Georgia 2026 offers a closed, centrally managed competition where data collection, officiating alignment and medical oversight can be tightly controlled.
What World Rugby Officials Are Saying
World Rugby chair Dr Brett Robinson has underlined that player welfare remains the organisation’s priority, while also stressing the importance of protecting rugby’s identity. He has described the trial as a careful, evidence-led step designed to ensure the U20 Championship remains both safe and compelling for players and supporters.
Chief Player Welfare and Rugby Services Officer Mark Harrington has pointed to the positive outcomes seen in the community game, emphasising that World Rugby will continue to follow the science. He has made clear that the trial does not signal an imminent law change at senior elite level, but rather the beginning of a longer evaluation process.
Abdel Benazzi, chair of World Rugby’s Men’s High Performance Committee, has noted strong interest from unions in exploring a lower tackle height at elite level, particularly following domestic success in community competitions. He has highlighted the U20 Championship as a practical way to test the law without disrupting established professional environments.
What Happens Next
The outcomes of the trial will be assessed against a range of metrics, including player welfare, game flow, and spectator experience. World Rugby will collect detailed data throughout the tournament, alongside structured feedback from players, coaches and referees.
Any further elite trials would require additional approval, and any permanent change to the laws of the game would need robust evidence and the support of the World Rugby Council.
For now, World Rugby has been clear that there will be no immediate changes to senior elite rugby.
The new rugby law explained here reflects World Rugby’s cautious approach to change. By trialling a sternum-height tackle at U20 level, the governing body is seeking evidence rather than assumptions, balancing the need to reduce injury risk with the responsibility to protect rugby’s defining physical contest.
The 2026 U20 Championship will not decide the future of the elite game on its own, but it will play a central role in shaping the next stage of rugby’s ongoing evolution.
