Rugby Official Urges World Rugby to Address Hip-Drop Tackles After Player Injury

A Queensland Reds official called on World Rugby to specifically address hip-drop tackles after a 19-year-old player suffered a broken ankle and syndesmosis during an under-20s match. The injury occurred in the Junior Wallabies' loss to Wales at the Under-20s World Championship in Georgia on Monday night local time.

The player is due to return to Brisbane on Thursday for surgery that will sideline him for several months.

The Queensland Reds general manager said the hip-drop tackle technique is not explicitly covered under current rugby laws on dangerous tackles. He noted that similar injuries have required ankle surgery for other contracted players in recent seasons.

New Zealand Rugby has banned the hip-drop tackle in community rugby because of the risk of severe lower-limb injuries. World Rugby laws prohibit dropping weight on an opponent's lower limbs only in rucks and mauls, not in tackles.

The injured player made his Reds debut this season and played 12 games, mostly off the bench. He is under contract until the end of 2027. Several league clubs have made recruitment offers, including one club that recently submitted a substantial offer for the 2028 season.

Rugby Australia and Queensland have also made a multi-year offer that includes the possibility of sevens competition at the 2028 Olympics. The player recorded 25 defenders beaten and 350 metres gained in four games at the under-20s tournament before the injury.

"World Rugby and competitions around the world are doing really good stuff around the head contact protocols – HIA, the sternum height tackle height and so on," the general manager said. " "From our perspective, it's certainly appropriate for World Rugby, within that framework, to call out this particular tackle technique within that law," the general manager added.