IRFU to stick with controversial rule change after shock injury plunge in domestic rugby
SAME HEIGHT IRFU to stick with controversial rule change after shock injury plunge in domestic rugby
IRFU are to keep the lower tackle height rule after a significant drop in injuries.
The Irish governing body will continue with its lowered tackle height law for the 2025/26 season after early results showed fewer injuries across the amateur game.
2
IRFU will continue with its lowered tackle height law for the 2025/26 season
2
The rule - which restricts tackle height to below the sternum - was brought in as part of a World Rugby trial in 2023 - and will continue due to an drop in injuries
The rule - which restricts tackle height to below the sternum - was brought in as part of a World Rugby trial in 2023.
It has been trialed across all domestic levels for the past two seasons in an effort to reduce head impacts and concussion risk.
An IRFU statement outlined the bodies decision.
It read: "Preliminary findings show decreases in overall injury rates across the domestic game in Ireland.
"We also see decreases in tackle -related injuries and the rate of head impacts during the trial."
IRFU medical manager Caithriona Yeomans added:
"We are one of the only Unions in a position to compare five seasons of injury data before the trial with the two trial seasons."
"We are looking at the injury data, alongside video analysis and stakeholder feedback to fully understand the impact of this trial, however preliminary findings are encouraging."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
Premier Sports and Disney+ to show La Liga games in Ireland for next three seasons
PREMIER SPORTS WILL continue to broadcast live matches from the Spanish top flight in Ireland and the UK for the next three seasons, while the 8:30pm Saturday kick-off will be streamed exclusively on Disney+. Premier have renewed their rights deal with La Liga until the end of the 2027/28 campaign, while subscribers to Disney+ — whose parent company owns ESPN — can watch the Saturday-night game as part of the standard €9.99 monthly package. Aside from the standalone Saturday-night fixture on Disney, Premier Sports will show every match live as part of its new agreement with La Liga. Champions Barcelona will begin the defence of their title away to Mallorca at 6:30pm on Saturday, 16 August, while Real Madrid's campaign will begin at home to Osasuna at 8pm on Tuesday, 19 August. Both of those games will be shown live on Premier Sports. Advertisement Disney's first game will come straight after Barca's season opener, when Valencia host Real Sociedad at 8:30pm on Saturday, 16 August. The first Clásico of the 2025/26 season is currently set for the Bernabéu on the weekend of 25/26 October, with the exact date to be confirmed. As such, its Irish and UK broadcaster has yet to be determined.
The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
Over 15,000 tickets already sold for Crocker and Donovan's all-Irish world-title fight
OVER 15,000 TICKETS have already been sold for next month's all-Irish world-title fight between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan at Windsor Park, Matchroom Boxing have confirmed. Belfast's Crocker (21-0, 11KOs) and Limerick's Donovan (14-1, 11KOs) will rematch at the home of Northern Irish football for the IBF welterweight world title on Saturday, 13 September. Tickets went on sale last week but Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn confirmed on Thursday morning that over 15,000 of them have already been snapped up with more than five weeks remaining, with pitchside tickets 'completely sold out'. A small number of cheaper tickets (around €52) are still available on Ticketmaster, while undercard boxers can also be contacted directly via social media for tickets. Advertisement 'Let's sell this place out for the first ever all-Irish world title fight,' Hearn said. In over a century and a half of professional boxing under the Queensberry rules, no two Irish-born fighters have ever fought each other for a world-title belt in any weight class. September's encounter will see either Crocker or Donovan join Katie Taylor as one of only two reigning Irish world champions, although Belfast's world-class super-featherweight Anthony Cacace is effectively in that same company having vacated his IBF title to avoid a mandatory challenge and instead take more lucrative fights with British rivals, which he has won. Crocker and Donovan's original bout at Belfast's SSE Arena was, in its own right, one the most significant to take place between two Irish boxers in the modern era. In what was a final eliminator for Boots Ennis' IBF title (Ennis has since vacated the belt and moved up in weight), Donovan and trainer Andy Lee were left furious when the previously unbeaten Limerick man was disqualified for knocking down Belfast's Crocker after the bell had sounded to end the eighth round. Related Reads 'This should have been Bernard Dunne 2.0... but life played out how it played out' Peerless in his own era, Oleksandr Usyk would have held his own in any of them Landmark victories are taken literally in New York, and Taylor has no more worlds to conquer Donovan had already been harshly deducted two points for head clashes by English referee Marcus McDonnell, who deemed his third punishable foul to be worthy of a DQ. To that point, Donovan had dominated a compelling contest against his rival from the north, earning a legitimate knockdown of Crocker and leading the Belfast man 69-63 x2 and 67-65 on the three judges' scorecards before being disqualified for his illegal blow. Remaining tickets for Crocker-Donovan II are available here.
RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
On This Week: Women 'invade' the Forty Foot
On This Week: Irish Moments from History (14th - 20th July) Welcome to On This Week, where we delve into the standout stories from the years gone by, featuring standout news stories, major sporting events, and pop culture highlights that helped shape Irish life. Here's your dose of Irish nostalgia from 14th - 20th July. This Week In Irish News Before 1974, the Forty Foot was traditionally a men-only spot until a group of women decided to protest by gathering and swimming there. The Dublin City Women's Invasionary Force protested on the shore with placards and took to the waters located in Sandycove, Dublin. Since the protest, women have been swimming at the Forty Foot. 1979: Cork gets first female bus conductors in Ireland For the first time in Ireland, three female bus conductors were employed by CIE in Cork City. The three women taken on were Geraldine Horgan, a former hospital attendant; Angela Stout, a retired bus conductor on London Transport; and Maura Wallace, who holds a Diploma in Youth and Community Work. The women were employed under the same conditions as the male conductors, earning the same wages and wearing the same uniforms. This Week In Irish Sports 1972: Muhammad Ali wins fight against Al 'Blue' Lewis in Croke Park Heavyweight boxers Muhammad Ali and Al 'Blue' Lewis met in the ring in Croke Park on 19 July 1972 in a non-title fight. The eagerly anticipated fight saw Ali beat Lewis in the 11th round by a technical knockout. After the fight, Ali gave credit to his opponent, saying he was awkward to fight and that he "hit him a lot of times, but he just coming through and through". Ali's next fight would be against former world Champion Floyd Patterson, which he won. 2013: Ireland's women's football team kick off first World Cup campaign Ireland's women's football team arrived for their first World Cup, where they played Australia, Nigeria, and Canada in Group B. Ireland opened the tournament by playing the hosts, Australia, in front of a 75,784-strong crowd. Despite a spirited and hard-fought performance, the hosts won 1-0 thanks to a 52nd-minute penalty from Steph Catley. This Week In Irish Entertainment 1987: Having a Lark in the Park for the fifth time The fifth successive 'Lark in the Park', a free rock music concert, took place in St Anne's Park, Raheny in Dublin. The Lark in the Park was a series of free, open-air music concerts held in public parks, organised by RTÉ Radio 2 and In Dublin magazine. For the first time, the concert had five acts instead of four, with Touchdown, Montage, Blue In Heaven, Lord John White, and The Subterraneans all performing. This Week In Irish Culture 1966: The New Abbey Theatre opens its doors The President of Ireland, Éamon de Valera, officially opened the new Abbey Theatre in Dublin. It marked fifteen years to the day since the old Abbey was destroyed by fire, except for the front offices and the vestibule. The theatre was designed by architect Michael Scott and was built on the site of the old theatre. 1993: Mayo celebrates 5,000 years Ballina in Co Mayo was the site for celebrating Mayo 5000 with pageantry, fireworks and a Beat on the Street. Mayo 5000 was a year-long cultural celebration of 5,000 years of rural settlement in the county. The 2FM roadshow provided entertainment with a three-hour Beat on the Street. Then, there was a colourful pageant telling the county's history throughout the ages with President Mary Robinson as the guest of honour before ending with a spectacular fireworks display. What was Number 1 in Ireland This Week? 1972: 'Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day' by Gilbert O'Sullivan The song was the first of three consecutive number ones on the Irish Singles Chart for O'Sullivan. 1986: 'The Lady in Red' by Chris de Burgh The song was responsible for introducing de Burgh to a mainstream international audience, reaching number one in several countries. 2013: 'I'm Glad You Came' by The Wanted The Wanted's second single peaked at number one in the UK and Ireland, and reached number two in the US. Irish Celebrities Celebrating Birthdays This Week Michael Flatley (67) Former professional dancer and choreographer, best known for Riverdance. Annie Mac (47) DJ, broadcaster, and writer who has hosted shows on BBC Radio 1. James Kavanagh (36) Influencer, and presenter who co-hosts 'The Simpler Life?' podcast. Other Irish Trivia From This Week 2008: When the Smurfs descended onto Castleblayney Castleblayney in Monaghan enters the Guinness Book of Records by holding a meeting of 1,253 Smurfs. To coincide with the 50th anniversary of the popular cartoon characters 'The Smurfs', the people of Castleblayney broke the record for the most Smurfs gathered in one place. The record attempt was conducted as part of a local festival, with the effort exceeding the previous record of just over 500 people, which was set in Croatia. Looking Ahead Each Monday, On This Week will bring you a mix of stories from the last 75 years, to celebrate Volkswagen's 75 year anniversary, featuring the big news stories, sporting highlights and major pop culture moments. Volkswagen has been part of those unforgettable moments - driving families to milestones, memories, and moments that matter. Join us every week as we look back at the moments of yesteryear.
