Former ref Jackson named Super Rugby's tackle guru

Cape Town - Former player and recently retired international referee Glen Jackson has been appointed as Super Rugby's Tackle Technique Review Officer for the 2020 season.

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SANZAAR confirmed the appointment on Friday and stated that player welfare and preventing dangerous high tackles remained a high priority.

The governing body therefore felt it necessary for Super Rugby to feature a Tackle Technique Review Process trial in 2020, with Jackson to oversee the trial.

Jackson was the first Kiwi to play and referee 100 first-class matches. 

SANZAAR CEO Andy Marinos commented: "The High Tackle Technique Review process will not impose any sanctions on players. It is not designed to penalise the player in any way but to hopefully shine a light on poor technique that has been shown to increase the risk of significant injury and attempt to affect behavioural change via education and identification.

"We are extremely fortunate to have Glen take up this role. His career includes refereeing 32 international matches, 88 Super Rugby matches and 60 Mitre 10 Cup matches in New Zealand. He only recently retired as a referee and is ideally placed to act as the review officer for the law trial. 

"Of course, those tackles deemed high and reckless or dangerous within any match will be treated under the existing laws of the game and will incur sanctions."

Research has shown that the majority of concussions are caused by tacklers who tackle with an upright body.  

SANZAAR added that it was focusing on implementing a process that identifies high-risk upright tackles.

The shadow trial will see SANZAAR looking at all tackles each round and identifying tackles in which the tackler is in an upright body position, and in the event it is deemed the tackler has shown poor technique in executing an upright tackle, a warning may be sent to the player and player's coach. 

This process will be an educational process that will aim to educate players and coaches of high-risk behaviours by identifying poor tackle techniques and seeking to inform players of better choices they can make in the tackle zone.

- SANZAAR