The Irish Rugby Football Union (RFU) has voiced its opposition to any permanent adoption of a 20-minute red card by World Rugby.
Referees will be able to use that facility – it was trialled in the Rugby Championship this year, but has not previously been seen in the northern hemisphere – during the Autumn Nations Series, which kicks off on November 2nd when England host New Zealand and Scotland tackle Fiji.
New Zealand are one of three Rugby Championship teams on England’s autumn agenda alongside Australia and South Africa.
But a variation will be available to officials, who will retain the ability to award a permanent red card for foul play that is deemed to be deliberate and dangerous, which the IRFU has welcomed.
They will also have the option to award a 20-minute red card for technical offences, which differs from the stand-alone 20-minute red card proposal due to be discussed by the wider game in mid-November.
The red card variation ensures that players deemed to commit deliberate and dangerous offences receive the full sanctioning and subsequent disciplinary process, with the team being reduced to 14 men for the remainder of the game.
The 20-minute element, meanwhile, will relate to an act of foul play that is not deliberate or intentional.
In these circumstances, the player will be removed from the field of play for the remainder of the game, with the offending team able to replace that player after 20 minutes, with one of their available replacements taking the team back to 15 players.
In a statement, the IRFU, whose stance mirrors that of the French Rugby Federation, said: “The IRFU does not support the permanent adoption of a 20-minute red card.
“Player welfare and safety are paramount to the core values of the game, and the option of a permanent red card for deliberate and intentional acts of foul play supports those values and protects the integrity of the game.
“The IRFU welcomes the variation to World Rugby’s closed law trial, which will be adopted in the upcoming Autumn Nations Series.”
A range of law trials will feature during the autumn internationals, which includes referees having an option to go ‘on mic’ to explain decisions or key moments to watching spectators and television audience.
A countdown clock, meanwhile, will be in place for scrums, lineouts, and kicks at goal.
A scrum must be set within 30 seconds of the referee making their mark for the scrum. A free-kick will be given against the team deemed to be causing the delay.
And a lineout must be formed within 30 seconds of the assistant referee signalling the mark for a lineout, with a free-kick awarded on the 15-metre line against the team causing the delay.
Six Nations Rugby, the organisation responsible for the Autumn Nations Series, says the introduction of law trials “has been driven by a game-wide commitment to enhance the spectacle for fans, alongside the ambition to simplify the game in key areas, while continuing to ensure player safety and welfare standards remains paramount”.
Six Nations chief of rugby Julie Paterson added: “Everyone in rugby understands that there is a huge opportunity to capture the attention of a far broader audience, alongside catering for its existing and passionate fanbase.
“The law trials are just one step towards exploring this opportunity, and the trials running throughout the Autumn Nations Series will hopefully enhance the experience for fans, while helping explain some of the decisions taken ‘live’ and to embrace, but also explain, the nuances that are part of what make rugby so unique and special.”
