The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) has released a statement insisting they do not endorse the continual implementation of a 20-minute red card. The announcement followed the French Rugby Federation’s staunch objection to this suggested red card adjustment, labelling it as a “regressive move” made by World Rugby.
In 2024, a test of this novel rule was conducted for the first time during the Rugby Championship and the Under-20 Championship in South Africa run by World Rugby. This experimental rule allows a team to substitute a red-carded player after a 20-minute banishment.
If bomb squads in rugby should be prohibited is also a topic of debate. According to IRFU, the welfare of the player and their safety are of utmost importance, aligning perfectly with the game’s core tenets. They claimed that the ability to give a permanent red card for intentional fouls helps uphold these principles and safeguard the sport’s honour.
The IRFU had expressed their approval for a change in World Rugby’s closed law trial, which will come into effect in the forthcoming Autumn Nations Series. Under this new regulation, game officials retain the power to issue a permanent red card for deliberate acts of foul play perceived as perilous.
Additionally, referees will be given an allowance to issue a 20-minute red card for technical foul play not thought to be intended or deliberately executed. In these scenarios, the offending player will be ejected from the game, but after a 20-minute period, the team would have the chance to substitute the red-carded player with an available replacement. This rule was also tested in the current year’s Rugby Championship.