One of world rugby's toughest men has rubbished the introduction of what has been dubbed the "nipple rule".
In an effort to halt the increase in head injuries and concussion, World Rugby will trial rule changes at under-20 competitions starting this week in France that lower the height of tackles.
As part of the trial, the acceptable height of a tackle will be lowered from the shoulders to "below the nipple line", according to the governing body.
High tackle warnings will also be trialled in the World Rugby Under 20 Championship starting this week, with two warnings resulting in an automatic one-match suspension.
The announcement was met with widespread ridicule online, but Queensland Reds coach and former All Blacks lock Brad Thorn was perhaps the most critical of the move.
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"Soon it'll be the belly button ... where's it going to go, where's it going to end?," Thorn said after his side's 18-15 loss to the Highlanders on Saturday.
"For me, I'm just pleased I'm retired because (when he played) you could just cut loose.
Thorn believes the rule, if imposed at international level, will detract from the spectacle of the sport and make it even harder for rugby's big men to play by the rules.
"If you look at the UFC and MMA or whatever, it just keeps growing because you see two people go to war, physically ... and there is so much respect between them at the end," he said.
"I still reckon the (rugby) crowds enjoy some contact, some physicality.
"If someone is deliberately picking a guy up and spear tackling or someone deliberately takes someone's head off then yeah, definitely, that needs to be sorted out.
"When you're like (Reds lock Izack) Rodda - 6'7", 6'8", 120kg, trying to play aggressive, coming in hard - it's not always easy."
Retired Wallaby Drew Mitchell said on Twitter the proposal would only increase the grey area in the code's rule book and turn the sport into "touch rugby".
Many others jokingly suggested it would lead to topless rugby so referees could properly adjudicate the nipple line, given that not everyone's nipples were at the same height.
World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said the aim of the trial was to change player behaviour by lowering the acceptable height of the tackle.
"As a rugby father with sons playing at the elite and community level, I am committed to ensuring that rugby remains at the forefront of injury prevention, specifically in the area of concussion," he said.
