The Rough Sport of Rugby Turns Brutal: Death and Horrific Tackles
Rugby is a tough sport - it involves some strong tackling and hard hitting players. At the same time though there are rules preventing illegal tackling and any player deemed to be in violation of these rules is given a penalty
and can be suspended or even banned. Sometimes though, things can get out of hand and people have been severely injured and one player even died in 2008. This, although rare, can happen in the sport and precautions should be taken against it taking place.
Hopefully with better training and rule enforcement, no rugby player will ever die in the sport again.
There are various ways to tackle in rugby; dump tackle, body tackle, ankle tap, diving tackle, charge, the charge down and in the Rugby League a sliding tackle is allowed while in the Rugby Union it is reportable. Besides
these different types of tackles that are allowed there are some that are restricted, some that are simply reportable and some that are illegal.
There are a few of these types of tackles which can be highly controversial and also very dangerous to the player who is being tackled. The spear tackle, which is also called a dangerous throw, is illegal in both Rugby Union
and Rugby League. A spear tackle is when a player is tackled and picked up and thrown upside down on the pitch. This type of a tackle has caused serious injuries in the past and can result in damage to a player’s spine, broken necks and dislocated shoulders.
Another dangerous tackle is called the grapple tackle, which is similar to a chokehold and can result in serious injury as well.
The problem with rugby is that even though these types of moves and tackles are banned and illegal in the sport, the game is fast paced, very physical and full contact. In that regard, sometimes mistakes can happen. When
players are in the heat of play and are struggling to get the ball away from an opponent, even with all their training, they can make errors. This is when serious injuries occur and players are tackled in a horrific manner. The one who does the tackle does
not mean to do it, usually, but it does take place sometimes.
Often a tackle can result in serious injury to the player and it can ruin careers and even end lives. In 2005, rugby union international Tana Umaga from New Zealand, was involved in a very serious tackle on Brian O'Driscoll
in which O’Driscoll was spear tackled and dislocated his shoulder and missed the rest of the season. Again in 2005, another New Zealand international, Jarrod McCracken, was compensated by a court of law after he claimed that a tackle on him resulted in the
end of his career. Often when a very serious offence such as an illegal tackle takes place, a tribunal is called and the players in question are usually given fines and suspensions.
In the worst case scenario an illegal or mistimed tackle can even result in the death of a rugby player. In 2008, a very talented young rugby player was killed by a tackle during a game. Gareth Jones was killed during a game
when he was struck by another player, Darren Ryan in a ruck. Jones was conscious when he fell to the ground but complained of not being able to feel his legs. The doctors rushed him to the hospital where he died from his injuries. He was struck in the neck
and he could not survive the huge blow. Darren Ryan had performed a perfect and legal tackle and he was not aware that he had struck Jones in a wrong way. It just seemed to be a case of bad luck and Ryan was not charged for the death or penalised for it.
Hopefully in the years to come with better training and more emphasis on safety and proper tackling methods, no player will ever have to die or get seriously injured in the game. Though unavoidable accidents will still occur
but they should not occur via illegal tackles or mistimed ones either. Coaches have a moral obligation to enforce proper tackling methods to avoid severe injuries and fatalities in the future.
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