Reign Rugby Academy Launches SafeTackle™ Program to Raise the Standard for Youth Contact Sports
For generations, coaches have faced the same challenge: how do you teach young athletes to play physical sports while keeping them as safe as possible?
Reign Rugby Academy believes the answer isn't avoiding contact—it's teaching it correctly.
This fall, Reign Rugby Academy is officially launching the SafeTackle™ Program, a progressive coaching system designed to build safer, more confident, and more effective tacklers from the very beginning. Developed and led by JP du Plessis, Reign Rugby Academy's Director of Rugby Development and High Performance, the program combines elite rugby coaching methods with proven research to help athletes develop proper contact technique before bad habits take hold.
Unlike traditional tackling instruction that often emphasizes aggression before technique, SafeTackle™ teaches athletes to first master body control, positioning, footwork, and head placement before progressing into live contact. The philosophy is simple:
Safety and physicality can—and should—exist together.
"One of the biggest misconceptions in contact sports is that safer means softer," said JP du Plessis. "That's simply not true. The safest athletes are often the most dominant because they understand body position, timing, and technique. We aren't trying to make players less physical—we're teaching them how to be physical the right way."
The need for that education has never been greater.
According to research highlighted in the program, athletes who tackle with their head in front of the ball carrier experience dramatically higher injury rates than those using correct head positioning. Additional studies have also shown measurable reductions in head impacts after athletes receive structured technique training.
For du Plessis, those numbers reinforce something elite rugby has understood for decades.
"Bad habits don't become easier to fix with age—they become harder. If we can teach athletes the correct movement patterns early, they gain confidence, they perform better, and they stay healthier throughout their careers."
At the heart of the program is the SafeHit™ Framework, a six-phase progression that teaches athletes how to approach contact under control before finishing tackles safely and effectively. The framework emphasizes body control, power position, safe head placement, controlled contact, strong wrapping technique, and completing every tackle with discipline rather than reckless force.
The program is designed for athletes who are completely new to contact sports, as well as experienced players looking to rebuild proper technique. Reign Rugby Academy will offer several options, including introductory clinics, preseason training packages, and full-season programs that reinforce safe habits throughout the year.
While the curriculum was developed through rugby, the principles extend well beyond a single sport.
"The body doesn't know whether you're playing rugby or football," du Plessis explained. "Good movement is good movement. Safe body position is safe body position. When athletes learn those fundamentals early, they become better defenders regardless of what sport they play."
For Reign Rugby Academy, SafeTackle™ represents another step in the organization's mission to develop athletes beyond wins and losses.
"We want parents to know that safety isn't an afterthought—it's where development begins," said Denton Hunter, Chief Operating Officer of Reign Rugby Academy. "JP has built a program that doesn't ask coaches to choose between protecting athletes and developing competitive players. It shows they can—and should—have both."
As youth sports continue to evolve, Reign Rugby Academy hopes SafeTackle™ will help change the conversation around contact sports—not by making athletes less physical, but by making them more prepared, more confident, and ultimately, safer every time they step onto the field.
