As the argument over the tackle law continues, England’s most capped male player, Ben Youngs, argues that the benefits of rugby union outweigh the hazards.

Players will only be able to tackle from the waist down, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said last week.

Clubs in levels below the Premiership, Championship, and Premier 15s will be subject to the rules starting in July.

Rugby can come with hazards, but Youngs told BBC Sport that it also offers tremendous rewards.

The community game, which wasn’t included in the decision-making process, reacted angrily to the alterations.

The demand for a special general meeting of the RFU has received support from more than 250 clubs.

With a record 121 caps, Leicester scrum half Youngs is also active with Market Harborough RFC, where his son plays youth rugby.

The RFU has promised to provide “clarity” over the new rules. According to Youngs, lowering the permissible tackle to “chest height” will improve safety and make the rule more enforceable at all levels of the game.

“I’m sure a little bit of clarity and help will go a long way,” he continued.

“I believe that clarification [is needed] for them as well. I know all the local coaches, everyone at the grassroots level, the refs, and everyone else who volunteers their time for the community game that I attend on a Sunday.

“I think it’s probably safe enough from the chest down.”

RFU council members will consult with clubs for advice on the revised tackle heights legislation.
Concerned about tackle adjustments in community games are Premiership coaches
Youngs, 33, continues by pointing out that all sports come with inherent dangers and expressing his desire for rugby union to uphold its essential values while simultaneously improving safety.

When playing hockey against a short corner, he commented, “You can’t tell me that’s safe; people take shots, it gets deflected, and the ball may hit you in the head.”

“However, everyone would agree that hockey is a safer sport than rugby, but it isn’t. In cricket, fielding in particular positions is dangerous.

“But because you know they’ll enjoy it, you take them because you’re a parent.

“The camaraderie, ideals, respect, teamwork, leadership, and sense of belonging that the sport fosters in rugby union players, in my opinion, exceed the hazards.

We don’t want rugby to disappear, but we also want safety.

In the meantime, a few amateur clubs want to use an SGM to impose a vote of no confidence in the RFU board.

With more than 250 clubs stating their willingness to convene an SGM, a body named the Community Clubs’ Union (CCU) has been established.

According to the CCU, a number of RFU Constituent Bodies are currently considering withdrawing their support for the legislative reform.

The CCU said that “things have moved dramatically.”

The RFU informed its member clubs in a letter on Wednesday night that there will be more debate in the days ahead.

The RFU correspondence stated, “We recognize the adjustment is tough and the community game has understandably supplied significant comment on the change.

“We consider the reduction in tackle height to be the beginning of the process, to allow for a period of engagement in the coming weeks with groups of coaches, players, and referees, drawn from across the nation and from all levels of the game, including the men’s, women’s, and age grade game, over the detail, intent, and implications of the law change, before finalizing it,” the statement reads.