Sir, – Now that the Six Nations tournament is about to commence, we will have to witness and read about a constant stream of injuries, players stretchered off, players unable to play for short or long periods and teams unable to field a full-strength 15, due mainly to injuries sustained on the pitch. This can be tragic for the players and reduces the enjoyment of the game for spectators. All of this is unnecessary. I have two solutions to the problem.
First, tackling allowed below the waist only. So no crunching, dangerous tackles to the upper body or around the neck could take place. Think how this would free up the game, and increase off-loading dramatically, with more exciting open play. It would also avoid the ridiculous, time-consuming tactic of holding ball carriers up in the tackle, so that they get penalised.
Second, and more important, introduce a weight handicap system, just as for jockeys in horse racing. If you weigh more than 100 kilos, about 16 stone, you don’t play in the game at all. If you weigh more than 90 kilos, about 14 stone, you don’t play in the the back seven. We would have no more bulking up talented young players, so that they might be able to withstand the assaults of very heavy opponents. Such tackles are the reason for most injuries, minor and major.
The current rules are defended on the grounds that rugby is a contact sport, so such injuries are inevitable. It is openly acknowledged that the physically stronger, more aggressive team will bully the other team into submission and win the game. This is a contest of gladiators, not a sport.
Rugby is essentially a game where players are given the opportunity of running with the ball and evading tackles in order to score. The scrum and line out are the set-pieces designed to lead to a running, passing, tackling game where skill, talent and speed are more important than weight and brute force. It would be very easy to return to that, given a change of mindset about the requirements for enjoyment of the sport by players and followers.
My solutions are so simple and obvious that there must be flaws in them. Could somebody please tell me what they are? – Yours, etc,
DAVID BOURKE,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.