Stop trying to "fix the game"!

It seems not a week goes by that some rugby newspaper writer pens a column or article about how to "fix" rugby, and to get rid of some modern blight on the game. Recently the big issue has been head injuries and concussion. A valid problem with the game - all contact sports really - that needs to be dealt with in the proper way. However, some of the ideas being generated are just utterly unfathomable, fixing made up issues, instead of the fundamental issues.

Concussions and head injuries do remain a significant threat to players, despite World Rugby's efforts.

A recent article published in a British newspaper suggested that to fix the number of head injuries in rugby was to reduce rugby from 15-a-side to 12. And I honestly had to sit there and try to understand how the writer had come to the conclusion that would fix anything at all. The only reason fewer players on the pitch would reduce the number of head injuries is that there are fewer players, it won't reduce the percentage of players which are affected. Try and explain how fewer players on a pitch will reduce massive upright tackles to rugby league, where monster head high hits are not only common but the industry standard. If anything with more space on the pitch the speed of collision is

Tackles like this are common place in rugby league.

going to be even greater, and injuries more severe.

The proposal itself stated that with fewer players on the pitch, attack would be king again, and defences less brutal. Again returning to rugby league, with a similar number of players on the pitch, defence is even more savage and was actually the blueprint for modern defence in rugby union now. So how does this accomplish anything positive for the number of head injuries? Also with more space defence coaches will be focused on preventing the offload and so upright tackles will return leading to more dangerous collisions. So it's safe to say this concept is just flat out broken, it doesn't fix any issues, and probably just makes more.

Next is the idea from the French Rugby President that tackling should be below the hip, and anything higher illegal. Two issues with this. One how on gods green earth is this going to be officiated? It's already bad enough for Devin Toner trying to tackle Faf de Klerk, now you're gonna ask him to essentially have to kneel down to even stand a chance of remaining legal. Also considering a large number of head injuries actually occur when the tacklers head connects with a players knee, enforcing such a low tackle consistently will greatly increase the likelihood of such an impact. Taking away the safest tackle target - for both parties - the torso from consideration. With a leg only tackle height being made compulsory the number of major joint injuries and head injuries are actually more likely to increase. The current "below the shoulder" ruling is the perfect amount, it still allows for tackler variety, it takes out the dangerous head high tackles, and keeps defenders away from hard knees to the head.

Halfpenny hasn't played since this (unpunished) incident.

Secondly, it doesn't address the main issue of head injuries. The majority of head injuries happen from reckless charge downs which clatter into the kicker (see Kerevi v Halfpenny in the autumn), or more likely from players coming charging into rucks with their shoulders and having no reason to
care for the opponent's safety. The laws state players must "bind" onto the ruck and then push, yet the modern game allows and encourages reckless charges into rucks designed to send other players flying.

This problem has been addressed by players like the recently retired Sam Warburton, and yet nothing has come of it, no one with any ability to enact positive, useful, change is listening to the people who know best what is wrong with the game. Instead, they come up with mad-hat ideas to sound interesting and controversial, how about people come up with some decent ideas to fix the real issues, rather than the false conceptions which people claim are wrong.