World Rugby has moved to outlaw both the hip drop and knee drop tackles, with the changes taking effect on November 1, following a recommendation from an expert tackle height working group commissioned after February's Shape of the Game conference.
The hip drop — where the tackler uses their bodyweight to drag an opponent to ground and land on their legs — will carry a minimum penalty sanction given the serious injury risk it poses. The knee drop, while not classified as inherently dangerous, contravenes existing laws prohibiting tackles from the ground, and its prohibition clarifies that existing law. A penalty sanction applies in both cases.
Springboks coach Felix Jones was among those who lobbied for the change. Elrigh Louw's case was central to the campaign: the Bulls loose forward suffered a fractured leg and knee ligament damage from a hip drop in early 2025, sidelining him for 10 months. Louw returned last November and is still working his way back to top form.
World Rugby chair Brett Robinson acknowledged the role unions played in raising the issue. "Once we looked at the evidence, it was clear the hip drop tackles, whilst rare, could cause significant leg injuries. It was also clear that knee drop tackles were on the rise," Robinson said. "Protecting player welfare is at the heart of everything that World Rugby does and once we'd reviewed the analysis we've acted quickly."
Australia wing Max Jorgensen also suffered ankle ligament damage requiring surgery from a hip drop tackle against the Highlanders in Super Rugby Pacific, leaving him sidelined for nearly four months.
International Rugby Players Association representative Rob Kearney backed the move, noting that short-term adjustment challenges for players, coaches and officials were outweighed by the need to remove the risk of serious injury from the game.