Irish RFU against permanent adoption of 20-minute red cards

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