World Rugby has approved a lower legal tackle height for community rugby, moving a player welfare-focused law change from trial status into full law.

The update is set to take effect from July 1, 2026, for rugby seasons that begin after that date. Under the new community rugby law, national unions will be able to choose whether the legal tackle height is set at the waist or at the base of the sternum.

According to World Rugby’s media release, the decision follows two years of trials across 10 national member unions, with more than 150,000 tackles studied. The trials showed that lowering the legal tackle height helped reduce upright tackles, which are among the tackle situations most closely linked to avoidable head impacts.

Player welfare is the central reason for the change. By encouraging tacklers to go lower, World Rugby aims to support safer technique and reduce the type of high-contact tackle situations that can increase risk for both the ball carrier and the tackler.

The law update applies to community rugby. Unions will still be able to use Game On community law variations to adapt secondary laws in areas such as pick and go situations and double tackles.

Initial trials of a lower legal tackle height in elite rugby are also planned for the World Rugby Junior World Championship in Georgia, which begins June 27, 2026.

World Rugby Council also approved several other successful trials to move into full law, including the scrum brake foot, restrictions on water carriers entering the field of play, confirmation of the Television Match Official as part of the officiating team, and the option for elite competitions to use 20-minute red cards.

For PacifikLive’s rugby community, the update is another reminder of how the sport continues to evolve while keeping player safety at the center of the game.