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World Rugby could change tackle laws to reduce concussion risk

World Rugby's chief medical officer Martin Raftery suggests that the organisation will consider changing tackle laws to reduce the risk of concussion.

World Rugby's chief medical officer Martin Raftery has suggested that the game's tackle laws could be changed to reduce the risk of concussion.

Raftery's comments come after Welsh lock Jamie Cudmore was forced to retire from rugby due to concussion problems earlier this month, and Raftery believes that preventing concussion is the biggest issue that World Rugby currently faces.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Raftery said: "There's no doubt that the biggest area that we think, that we know where concussion is going to occur is in the tackle, so that will help us to look at the tackle and see what we can do to make it safer."

James Robson, chief medical officer of Scottish Rugby Union, has also suggested that the issue needs to be looked at by the game's governing bodies.

"Two seasons ago we had a real push, a real initiative - we educated people that only by knowing what was happening with injury could we make a significant difference," Robson told BBC Sport.

"I truly believe that the doubling between that season and the following season of the number was actually down to that education. I strongly believe that we do need to look at the laws of the game and the way that it's played."

Cardiff Blues flanker Rory Watts-Jones was also forced to retire as a result of concussion earlier this year.

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