“The death of the game” – Ex-Official reacts to trialled rule changes

Yesterday it was announced that two law modifications will be trialled in the RFL Academy competition this summer, as part of the three-year research project across Rugby League led by Leeds Beckett University. The project is quantifying head impact and acceleration exposures in the sport with the aim of increasing understanding and reducing future risk.

The following law modifications will be trialled over four rounds of the Academy competition from June 15 to July 30:

The legal tackle height will be reduced to below the armpit at initial contact, with penalisation for contact on the head and neck at any point.

Kick-offs will now be taken from 10 metres further forward – on the opposition’s 40-metre line, rather than the halfway line at present – to reduce the impact of ensuing collisions.

Now a former Super League official has had his say on these rule changes.

That man is Richard Silverwood who has described them as symptomatic of the legal challenges against the sport which have been making headlines recently.

He has said this will be “the death of the game.”

He took to Twitter to say:

“And so it begins. The more legal challenges from ex players will be the death of the game.”

The rule changes have certainly caused widespread debate among fans much like rugby union’s own rule changes which were much more extreme.