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Rugby

Frankie Sheahan outlines how tackle change will reduce concussions and "create a better game"

Former Ireland and Munster hooker Frankie Sheahan believes lowering the height of the tackle in r...



Frankie Sheahan outlines how t...
Rugby

Frankie Sheahan outlines how tackle change will reduce concussions and "create a better game"

Former Ireland and Munster hooker Frankie Sheahan believes lowering the height of the tackle in rugby would not only reduce concussions but also improve the game.

The 30-year-old told The Colette Fitzpatrick Show that taking the tackle down to waist height would reduce the type of collisions that would often result in concussions.

"You would omit the head-to-head collisions if you drop the height of the tackle to waist height. If guys stand up and tackle in that front-up type position, it's a head-and-head collision. So technically it's not a high tackle if they're not leading with the shoulder, because they're standing up straight," he said.

 

"So I think you would avoid an awful lot of concussions if you do it that way. But the other thing you would also do is to free up the arms as well to allow for more tries and break down defences better. So I think you could actually create a better game by doing it as well."

The 39-year-old also spoke about his personal experience with heart condition, atrial fibrillation.

Listen to Colette's full chat with Sheahan on the podcast: 

Frankie Sheahan outlines how tackle change will reduce concussions and "create a better game"

00:00:00 / 00:00:00

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