Low Trial Processing in New Zealand
New Zealand is ramping up its equipment in its fight against concussion. On Tuesday, the Kiwis Association (NZR) decided to try a new rule limiting the height of interference in all amateur rugby matches in 2023, to reduce the risk of a head impact.
From now on, the first attacker will have to go under the sternum, the bone that connects the ribs to the center of the chest. The second attacker will still be able to get under the shoulders as he is today.
“The game becomes more enjoyable and safer when the intervention height under the sternum is lowered”
Steve Lancaster, Managing Director of NZR Amateur Rugby
The low interference rule was tested last season in some domestic competitions. “The main feedback we received from these experiments is that the game is more fun to play and safer when the intervention height is lowered under the sternum, that is, at the level of the abdomen.”said Steve Lancaster, general manager of NZR Amateur Rugby.
The decision comes amid growing concern over head injuries. A group of nearly 200 former professional rugby players have filed a complaint against the International Federation, the FA and Welsh, claiming that the governing bodies failed to take necessary measures to protect players from brain damage caused by repeated hitting with the head.
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