France's Mathieu Raynal Challenges World Rugby Over Hip-Drop Tackle Ban Timing
- France's head of referees Mathieu Raynal publicly challenged World Rugby over the timing of its new hip-drop tackle ban, set for 1 November
- Raynal said the move contradicts a prior agreement that new laws would only take effect during the July international window
- The referee boss also raised concerns about how officials should handle hip-drop tackles in the period before the ban officially comes into force
- Briefly News spoke exclusively to rugby analyst Thabang Mokoena about Mathieu Raynal's concerns over World Rugby's new hip-drop tackle ban
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France's top refereeing official has publicly aimed at World Rugby, questioning the timing of its newly announced ban on the hip-drop tackle and demanding clarity on how the rule should be applied in the interim.
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Mathieu Raynal, France's head of referees and a former Test referee, said the announcement contradicts an agreement between World Rugby and all nations that new laws would only be introduced during the July international window. The hip-drop tackle ban is scheduled to take effect from 1 November, while the ban on the knee-drop tackle came into immediate effect.
Raynal demands answers from World Rugby
Speaking to Rugbyrama on 9 October 2026, Raynal expressed frustration over the lack of consultation surrounding the timeline.
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"We are extremely surprised by the timetable imposed by World Rugby," he said.
"We had agreed, with all the nations and World Rugby, that any new rule would only come into effect during the July international window. We will therefore naturally ask World Rugby for an explanation regarding this change of timetable."
Raynal acknowledged the intent behind the legislation, describing the hip-drop tackle as dangerous and praising World Rugby's focus on player safety. However, he questioned the logic of delaying the ban if the tackle was already considered harmful enough to warrant a regulatory response.
He added that French match officials had yet to receive sufficiently precise guidelines regarding the sanctions expected for hip-drop tackles in the lead-up to the November deadline.
Knee-drop ban "changes nothing" for French referees
On the separately announced knee-drop ban, Raynal was equally pointed, arguing that the formal prohibition added little in practice. He noted that French referees had been penalising such tackles for more than two and a half years, given that tackling an opponent while on the ground was already illegal under existing laws.
World Rugby has not yet issued a public response to Raynal's remarks.
Speaking exclusively to Briefly News, rugby analyst Thabang Mokoena said Mathieu Raynal's concerns highlighted the importance of clear communication between World Rugby and national unions when introducing changes to the laws of the game.
“Player safety is extremely important, and the intention behind restricting dangerous tackles is understandable. However, when World Rugby introduces a new law, there needs to be clear communication with the national unions and referees so everyone understands when it takes effect and how it should be enforced. Any uncertainty could make the transition more difficult for match officials,” Mokoena said.
The analyst added that the timing of the hip-drop tackle ban could create challenges for referees if they were not given sufficiently detailed guidance on how to handle incidents before the new law came into force.
Sharks receive double playmaker boost ahead of Lyon clash
Briefly News also reported that the Sharks are close to the return of Jordan Hendrikse and Jaco Williams ahead of their European Challenge Cup opener against Lyon.
Head coach JP Pietersen confirmed that both players had returned to team training and were progressing well. The potential reinforcements come as the Durban side manages several injury concerns.
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Source: Briefly News
