Rugby refs' glass house of cards

The impact of referees readily reaching for their pocket has caused growing concern in elite rugby, but the game's governing body appears ready to step in.

A report published in London's The Times suggests the 10-minute red card review system that has been trialled in this season's Super Rugby Pacific competition and the World Rugby Under-20 Championship, is likely to be introduced at this year's Rugby World Cup (RWC) in France.

There had been genuine concern that this year's RWC would descend into farce if protocols around the issuing of cards were not addressed, and while match officials will continue to send players from the field with the same regularity, its impact will be less game-changing.

Under the “foul play review system”, or “bunker”, yellow cards can be upgraded if the television match official (TMO) deems the infraction to be serious enough. In this season's Super Rugby Pacific competition, the TMO was given eight minutes to determine whether a card should be upgraded from yellow.

At the RWC, TMOs will be given 10 minutes to arrive at that decision. If the yellow card is upgraded to red, the player cannot be replaced after 20 minutes, like they are in Super Rugby.

World Rugby will consult stakeholders before the changes are rubber-stamped.

When they announced the trial it was based on the following principles:

1. Clear and obvious red cards for foul play involving contact with the head will receive a red card resulting in the player being permanently removed from the game and unable to be replaced.

2. For any incident where a red card is not obvious, a yellow card will be issued and dedicated foul play reviewers in a central bunker review the incident using all available technology and footage.

3. Once 10 minutes has elapsed, the yellow card is either upheld and the player returns to the action or it is upgraded and the player permanently leaves the field, unable to be replaced.

Consideration will be given to furthering the trial in Tests ahead of the RWC, which kicks off in September. Elite rugby stakeholders, including match officials, players, unions and competitions will be consulted before changes are enacted.

World Rugby, out of an understandable abundance of caution, has in recent years tightened laws about head and neck injury collisions. Litigation has been brought from different sources for the impact head injuries have had on ex-players.

By tightening the laws about head contact, referees have had more cause to send players off the field, but often that has served to have an undue impact on match results.

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