Opinion: Why players should be punished for risking themselves

It may sound paradoxical, but it has been estimated by World Rugby that up to 70% of head injuries in the game are sustained by the tackler, rather than the tackled player. In recent years World Rugby has demanded referees show virtually zero tolerance to attacking the head of an opponent to minimise concussion, which is one of the biggest player welfare issues in the game. To fix the problem may well require the introduction of a sanction that punishes players for placing themselves in an unsafe position while effecting atackle. Ever since the British & Irish Lions employed a fast line- speed in their defence to draw their series with the All Blacks in 2017, the highly aggressive defensive system has been in fashion around the world. World Rugby has looked at ways to change this unsafe behaviour and has decided there needs to be a consequence even if it means penalising a player for hurting no one but himself. The High Tackle Warning System was trialed at last year’s Under-20 world championships in France last year, and will be again at this year’s tournament in Argentina, which kicks off next Tuesday. When World Rugby first began to clamp down on head-high tackles because of the incidence of concussion, there were cries of outrage from old-school types that the game was becoming soft.