- 2026 U20 World Championship trials a broad success but amount of data remains relatively small
- World Rugby encourages unions to identify elite lower tackle height trial opportunities to move knowledge forward
- Details of the trial results to be discussed at the 2026 World Rugby Medical Commission Conference on Tuesday 27 October at 1130 CET
Following the trial of a lower legal tackle height at the 2026 U20 Junior World Championship, the World Rugby Executive Board has determined that more data is needed before a definitive conclusion can be reached on any roll out into the wider elite game.
Speaking following the meeting, World Rugby Chairman Brett Robinson said: “The trials from earlier this year were really interesting, but the reality is we’re not yet able to come to a definitive conclusion on such an important issue in our game. The data from 40 games at this year’s Junior World Championship just isn’t enough to say how such a change would impact the men’s and women’s elite game.
“This is an area that our unions want to see trialed, and World Rugby will continue the trial at our own under 20 competitions, but the only way we’re ever really going to get the level of data we need is for an elite domestic level competition to adopt the trial.
“Player welfare is at the heart of everything we do and that goes for unintended consequences just as much as it does for those changes to the game we consciously make.”
The findings from the 2026 U20 World Championship trial will be discussed in detail at World Rugby’s Medical Commission Conference taking place on 27-28 October in Frankfurt, Germany. Registration for the key session starting at 1130 CET on Tuesday 27 October can be found here.
