World Rugby postpones decision on future of 20-minute red cards

DUBLIN — World Rugby has postponed a decision on the future of 20-minute red cards which are being trialled in the ongoing autumn rugby tests.

Referees have the option to use the temporary red cards for technical fouls and a full red card for blatant foul play. Offenders receiving 20-minute red cards are sin-binned and replaced by a teammate after 20 minutes. Two such red cards were issued last weekend to Fiji wing Semi Radradra and Scotland lock Scott Cummings.

The World Rugby council decided on Thursday it was too early to decide whether the experiment should become a law.

“With cross-hemisphere international matches having only just begun, in line with the recommendation, the council decided to delay consideration of the 20-minute red card trial until the conclusion of the autumn nations series to enable further feedback and full data analysis to be considered,” World Rugby said in a statement.

The French and Irish federations have opposed the 20-minute red cards, claiming it poses a health risk. But the likes of Wales coach Warren Gatland support it.

Other proposals that were made law by the World Rugby council included:

— 60-second shot clock on conversions, aligned with penalties

— 30-second setup for lineouts, aligned with scrums

— play-on rule in uncontested lineouts when the throw is not straight

— scrumhalf protection during scrums, rucks, and mauls.

However, proposals for a global trial to call a mark inside the 22 at kickoff and restarts, and for single-stop mauls, did not receive the required support.