Penalties for high tackles, especially when collisions are considered accidental, have split the game since the last World Cup and it is clear that this friction is not diminishing. Countries in the southern hemisphere, especially Australia and New Zealand, have generally been more supportive of the law that allows a player sent off to be substituted after 20 minutes.
The 20 minute red card will be in effect for Super Rugby competitions in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and this will be the second consecutive Rugby Championship campaign. Last year there were 20 minute red cards in the Rainbow Cup, basically a spin-off of the United Rugby Championship. Wider rollouts, however, have been countered in the Northern Hemisphere. For example, a worldwide trial has not yet come out.
An important argument against the 20-minute red card is that high tackles often lead to the permanent removal of their victims, even if they can be substituted. This was the case for the red cards shown to Charlie Ewels of England during the Six Nations earlier this month and Angus Ta’avao of New Zealand.
Neither James Ryan nor Garry Ringrose, both coincidentally from Ireland, returned after those incidents because they had both suffered concussions. On a 20 minute red card, the offending team is reinstated to 15 players 20 minutes after the violation.
“This is a great decision for The Rugby Championship,” says Sanzaar CEO
On August 6, the new Rugby Championship competition kicks off as South Africa hosts New Zealand and Argentina against Australia. Brendan Morris, Sanzaar’s chief executive, suggested that “broadcasters and fans” had influenced the decision to keep 20-minute red cards.
“This is a great decision for The Rugby Championship (TRC) and follows its application in Super Rugby,” he said. “All of Sanzaar’s national unions – Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa – fully support the extension of the red card law path. As a group, we are convinced that the integrity of international matches is very important and matches should be a 15-on-15 match whenever possible.”
“In the context of the gaming laws, Sanzaar believes that a 20-minute red card provides a significant deterrent to intentional foul play, while also protecting the 15 out of 15 match, which our unions, broadcasters and fans tell us it is important is.”
“Standing alongside World Rugby’s significant work on cheating control and player welfare, Sanzaar will conduct a formal research project covering the 2022 TRC period, reviewing all end-of-season comparative findings with World Rugby will be shared. The aim is to gather the necessary information that will allow the 20-minute red card trial to be accepted in the full rules of the game in the future.”