Here’s a summary of the key findings from the provided text, broken downโ into sections:
1. The Study & Its Focus:
* Researchers at the University of Edinburgh‘s Moray House school of Education and Sport analyzedโค 34 Scottish community women’s rugby matches.
* โขThe study aimed too evaluate the impactโ of lowering the maximum legal tackle height.
* โค โฃThis โis part of a larger international project by World Rugby involving 11โ countriesโ (Australia,England,France,Ireland,Italy,Japan,New Zealand,Scotland,South Africa,and Wales).
2. Methodology:
* Video footage and injury data from Scottish Rugby were used.
*โ Data collected included tackle type, bodyโ position, contact point, andโ headโค contact.
* Points of contact and match eventsโ were coded using guidelines developed with world Rugby and the University of cape โขTown.
3. Key Results -โค Positive Changes in player Behavior:
* Reduced Contact in โขthe “Red zone”: A 19% reduction in contacts above the sternum.
* Reduced Head Proximity & contact:
* โฃ 29% reduction in head-to-head proximity for the tackler.
* โค 33% reduction in head-to-head โคproximity for the ball-carrier.
* 48% reduction in head-to-shoulder contact for the ball-carrier.
* No Increase in Knee/Hip โContact: No increase in tackler’s head contacting the ball-carrier’s knee or hip (which is โฃlinked toโ concussion risk).
* โฃ Increased Sanctions: A important increase in penalties,โ advantages, and yellow โcardsโ for high tackles (from โข3 to 8).
*โ Decreased Tackles: โ The number ofโ tackles decreased considerably.
4. Injury โData:
* The rate โคof concussions and injuries did not change significantly betweenโข the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.
* However,the overall number of reported injuries was low,which researchers acknowledge โคmight affect the meaning of these findings.
5. โขconclusions & Future Research:
* Lowering the tackle height appears to have led to positive changes in player behavior, reducing head contact and proximity.
* Continued data โขcollection is crucialโค to fully understand the long-term effects onโข injury and โconcussion prevention.
* โ This study โis the โfirst to evaluate the impact of lowered tackle โheight in community women’s rugby.
* โ Similar encouragingโค results were found in a previous โขstudy on โScottish men’s community rugby.
* โฃ Evaluationsโ areโ ongoing for youth community rugby in Scotland.