Welcome new red card law punishes individual, not team or spectacle

WORLD Rugby has confirmed that the controversial 20-minute red card system will be used in all rugby competitions from August 1.

- MIKE GREENAWAY

This is despite an outcry, mostly from the northern hemisphere, where critics contend that it will encourage foul play because 20 minutes is insufficient punishment.

The new law, which has been trialled for a year in several competitions, permits a team to replace their red-carded player when a 20-minute period has elapsed.

This means that the team with the offender is only down to 14 men for 20 minutes.

World Rugby argues that this means games are not ruined as a spectacle because of a red card.

Many southern hemisphere folk, and I am among that number, feel this is correct.

Firstly, the culprit’s game ends, so he or she has been punished, their team has been compromised for 20 minutes, but then it is 15 against 15 once more, and that gives the spectacle a much better chance of surviving.

Also, the offending player often has done so accidentally.

New Zealanders point out the example of All Black Sam Cane’s red card in the 2023 World Cup.