December 23, 2024
Rugby’s 20-minute red card will be tested in the upcoming Autumn Nations Series | Rugby union

Rugby’s 20-minute red card will be tested in the upcoming Autumn Nations Series | Rugby union

The 20-minute red card will be used in next month’s autumn internationals – the first time it has been used in the northern hemisphere – despite opposition to its permanent introduction from Ireland and France.

Six Nations Rugby – which oversees the 21 games of the Autumn Nations Series – has announced the law will be tested throughout November, including England’s four games against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan.

The 20-minute red card, which allows a team to replace a player who has been shown a red card after 20 minutes in the sin bin, has been trialled in the Rugby Championship. It is understood there will be a consultation period to decide whether a global test will be introduced ahead of a final submission to the World Rugby Council next month.

As with the Rugby Championship, referees can still show permanent red cards for deliberate and dangerous foul play, which is significant as there have been some trials where all sending-offs have been punished with a 20-minute red card. However, since the introduction of the bunker review system, which will be in operation during the November tests, direct red cards have become rare in extreme cases.

20-minute red cards are all the more likely. In practice, either a 20-minute red card is shown, a permanent red card is shown on the spot for serious fouls, or the offender is sent to the bunker and either returns after 10 minutes if a yellow card is deemed sufficient is, or will be replaced after 20.

Red cards after twenty minutes were met with approval in the southern hemisphere, but there was significant resistance in the north. Previous proposals have been rejected on player safety grounds and there are concerns that a 20-minute red card sends the wrong signal given the ongoing brain injury lawsuit.

Following the Six Nations’ announcement that it would introduce the 20-minute red card this autumn, the Irish union issued a statement insisting it did not support its permanent introduction. It said: “The welfare and safety of players is paramount to the core values ​​of the game and the possibility of a permanent red card for intentional and intentional acts of foul play supports these values ​​and protects the integrity of the game.”

“The IRFU welcomes the change to World Rugby’s non-public legal procedure to be introduced in the upcoming Autumn Nations Series, which will allow match officials to continue to have the ability to award a permanent red card for acts of foul play that are deemed to be intentional and dangerous.”

There was strong opposition to the 20-minute red card in France earlier this week. A joint statement from the French federation, the National Rugby League and the players’ union called the proposal an “unacceptable step backwards” and stressed that the data collected remained “insufficient”.

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However, some in the game want World Rugby to go further. On the eve of the start of the Premiership season, head coaches suggested changing protocols to maintain “15-a-side” play on the pitch and avoid “destruction of the game”. Last season there were sending offs at the World Cup final, the Premiership final and the Champions Cup final, which were likely punished with a 20-minute red card.

Other tests that will take place during fall games include referees explaining key decisions to fans in the stadium via microphone, as well as countdown clocks for scrums and lineouts.

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