Why does this carry on?

As an extension to my previous post this photo taken off the Super Sport web page is exactly why there are serious spinal trauma injuries in rugby. Even the best conditioned bodies will not withstand this sort of battering for long.

The photograph shows two international players from a game between France and SA. Look at the tackling posture of the French man (in blue). His head is down which will allow a serious neck twist and flexion injury. Look at the shape of his spine (red line), during impact it is most likely that this will cause some sort of micro trauma to the spinal column. Not only is his back rounded (in flexion) in the lumbar and thoracic areas, it is also twisted sideways. When this man’s neck and shoulder "suddenly" have an injury, will it be the rugby scrum to blame or high tackles, or "his head was in front" or will it actually be repetitive trauma accumulating over the course of the game and his career that lead to the injury. If the tackler were to straighten his back to form the arrow (green arrow) shooting from the bow of his legs and hips (blue line) , lift his head and drive hard into the tackle the likely outcome would be different. The tackle would drive the ball carrier backwards and the game outcome as well as the body impact outcome would be very different. Thus in an attempt to get his head behind the ball carrier's body (good tackling form according to most coaches), he is going to injure himself more than from a good, solid, impact stopping, head in front, straight back, head up tackle.

The ball carrier (John Smit) is also running way to upright, which means when this poor tackle makes contact he will more easily be brought to ground rather than breaking the tackle. Further more John's head is up (very good) but his spine is in flexion in the lower lumbar and thoracic areas (red dashed line). He should rather be bending at the hip with increased mobility of the hip improved hip extensor strength particularly from the glutes to improve his contact position.

All in all its an example of how not to play rugby in the contact phase and yet this sort of action picture permeates the media as an example to our children and younger players and so the poor form of contact is perpetuated as youngsters emulate their heroes