REFEREES will have the option to show a 20-minute red card during the autumn internationals. Teams will lose a player for the rest of the match in cases of “deliberate and dangerous” foul play, but technical offences such as accidental head contact can be punished with a player being sent off, but replaced by a team-mate after 20 minutes.
The French Rugby Federation and Irish Rugby Union do not support 20-minute red cards replacing permanent red cards. The RFU will consider the evidence from this autumn before taking a stance on the issue.
The possibility of the 20-minute version becoming the only red card available to refs is to be discussed at a World Rugby meeting on November 14.
