IRFU trial reduces concussions and other injuries, but work still to do

Professor Ian Kenny, IRFU Head of Referees Dudley Phillips, IRFU National Rugby Development Manager Colm Finnegan, IRFU Medical Manager for the Domestic Game, Dr Caithriona Yeomans, IRFU Medical Director Dr Rod McLaughlin, IRFU Director of Rugby Development Colin McEntee, Professor Tom Comyns. Pic: Nick Elliott/Inpho

The IRFU has warned there is still work to be done in educating players about their safety after a two-season domestic trial which shows noticeable decreases in concussion and general injury rates across the men’s and women’s games.

The union introduced the 'Tackle Behaviours Trial' at the start of the 2023/24 season by lowering the tackle height to below the sternum in the hope it would reduce the risk of head contact in the amateur game.

The trial was held in conjunction with the long-running Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance Project (IRIS) with the University of Limerick, video analysis conducted through Trinity College Dublin and stakeholder engagement and feedback.

The billboard finding, when comparing the results across two seasons to a five-year pre-trial period, is a 33% decrease in concussion, an injury drop of 18% and a four-minute uptick of ball in play time.

These are figures restricted to the non-professional game but the IRFU’s medical director Prof. Rod McLoughlin said the union was open to their deliberations being used and built upon by other unions or bodies around the world.

“What we have shown is something within our context, within the amateur game in Ireland, that we have made significant change. If this is of value to anyone else we are happy to share our findings with anyone.” 

The IRFU will continue with the below-sternum tackle height law for the 2025/26 domestic season and beyond and, while this trial is now done, the lessons from it will continue to be studied and delivered back to players, coaches, parents and referees.

Among the findings was that, while concussions were down 33% in the men’s AIL and 18% in the women’s equivalent, there was actually an 8% increase in Schools Senior Cup teams across that same two-season term.

“We will analyse the data but we don’t know was it that the behaviour didn’t change," said McLoughlin. "We have looked at the Schools Cup games. We had 18 (rounds) of AIL games to monitor and address changes.

“Lots of schools maybe only had one or two Schools Cup games in the one year and we have to look at the consistency in how things were addressed outside of those matches.

“If we are asking someone to change behaviour just for a cup match when another behaviour has been around for the rest of the year… They are a younger group and on a different tackle experience so maybe technique is an issue there.

“These are all things we will have to explore.” 

Overall, 69% of those involved with rugby on the ground agreed that the changes have made the game safer but that figure dips down to just 49% for the actual players who play the game. One to work on, McLoughlin agreed.

“The coaches and referees are the biggest influencers as to what happens on the pitch so maybe the biggest learning was that we didn’t go after the players as well as we should.

One of their concerns was that the tackle isn’t as effective. We need to engage with them better, bring them with us, and hopefully then that figure will change.”