Stakeholder perceptions of a tackle law variation to reduce concussion incidence in community rugby union: A qualitative study

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of key stakeholder groups, i.e. coaches, players, and referees, of a reduced maximum legal tackle height law variation trial in a collegiate amateur rugby competition. A pragmatic qualitative approach was used. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were performed. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Three main law trial-related themes and four additional contextual themes were identified. The most important contextual factors include perceptions of resource scarcity of the implementation context, deficient concussion knowledge and lack of education among all stakeholder groups, tackle technique deficiencies, and an entrenched culture of a dismissive attitude towards serious injuries and non-disclosure of concussion by players. Real-world challenges such as inconsistent sanctioning during gameplay, multi-tackler tackles, and player fatigue underscore the gap between the theoretical knowledge of the law and the complex, dynamic nature of its execution. Furthermore, deeply ingrained issues like entrenched tackle techniques, the quality of coaching, and prevailing attitudes towards concussion compounded these challenges, indicating a need for a more comprehensive approach to bridge the divide between understanding and implementation. Despite these challenges, several participants felt the law variation was still more effective than the existing law; and that it created more awareness around concussion, while sending a clear message that player welfare is being taken seriously. Collectively these factors indicate the difficulty of addressing a complex problem such as concussion, with a law variation intervention in a challenging (resource-constrained) setting.