Injury prompts rule change

Leroy Carter suffered a severe ankle sprain during a match between New Zealand and Australia on October 10, after being tackled by Rob Valetini using a "hip-drop" method. The incident has led to a new rule change by World Rugby.

New rule added to rugby laws

On October 7, World Rugby confirmed the addition of the "hip-drop" tackle to law 9.13, which addresses dangerous tackles. The definition includes a tackler who shifts or drops their weight onto the ball carrier’s legs, potentially causing serious injury.

Rule implementation timeline

The match that caused the injury took place three weeks before the new rule would be implemented on November 1. World Rugby emphasized that the rule change requires further support, including referee decisions and judicial processes.

Previous rule interpretation

Although the term "hip-drop" was not explicitly in the law on October 10, the general rules already prohibited dangerous tackles. Referees could still penalize dangerous actions based on context, even without the specific term. No sanction was given to Valetini at the time of the tackle.

Classification of the tackle remains open

The new rule provides clearer guidelines for identifying and handling the "hip-drop" tackle. However, it does not retroactively change past decisions, meaning the tackle that injured Carter is still under review by match officials.

Coach comments and player impact

At a post-match press conference, New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie mentioned the tackle was of the "hip-drop" type but left the decision to referees. Leroy Carter may be out for several weeks, with his availability for the rest of the Nations Championship to be determined soon.