World Rugby rejects 'alarmist' call for tackling and scrum ban in school sport

• Experts call for ban on 'harmful contact' to reduce injury risk
• World Rugby questions data and claims made in new study

World Rugby has rejected "extreme and alarmist" claims made in a study that calls on scrums and tackling to be banned at school level, with a number of former international players also speaking out against the proposal.

Allyson Pollock and Graham Kirkwood from the Institute of Health at Newcastle University had urged the government to remove the tackle and other forms of "harmful contact" from school rugby. They argued that removing collision is likely to "reduce and mitigate the risk of injury" and said governments have a duty to "ensure the safety of children".