It was expected. The World Rugby Council decided on Thursday to postpone the vote on the global testing phase of the <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2024/10/rugby-the-20-minute-red-card-tested-but-optional-during-november-international-matches/" title="Rugby: the 20-minute red card tested but optional during November international matches”>reduced red card in order to have “more in-depth feedback” to make a decision, the body said.
“As international inter-hemisphere matches have only just begun, the Council has decided (…) to postpone” the vote on the 20-minute red card testing phase at global level until the conclusions of the tests- November matches allow “more in-depth feedback and comprehensive analysis of the data”, indicates the body in a press release.
World Rugby, which must also elect its new president during the day, was to decide on the experimentation at the global level of a whole series of reforms in the rules of rugby, supposed to make the game more spectacular and rapid.
These measures have already been tested in certain international competitions for six months, notably during the Rugby Championship or the Women XV but also during autumn test matches, in particular those of the Blues against New Zealand this Saturday.
Strong opposition from France in the name of player safety
The introduction of a lighter red card, allowing a team with a player sent off to be able to replace him after 20 minutes, had concentrated the debates, with in particular strong opposition from France in the name of player safety.
Last Sunday, Semi Radradra was the first international player to receive this sanction, during the Fijians’ victory against the Welsh (19-24) after a high tackle on Cameron Winnett. The French referee Luc Ramos initially sanctioned him with a yellow, transformed into a red after 20 minutes by the video referee placed in the bunker. Radradra was therefore replaced numerically in the second half. The Scotsman Scott Cummings also received a 20-minute red card the same day during the defeat against South Africa (15-32).
During the final of the last World Cup, the All Blacks played 44 minutes shorthanded after the expulsion of their captain Sam Cane (34th). The score was frozen in the 58th minute after a try from Beauden Barrett. Many in the Southern Hemisphere felt that this final would have had more sporting interest if the second period had been played 15 against 15.
Other measures will be tested at the global level from January 1, 2025, such as reducing the time to take a conversion, to form a scrum or even greater protection of the scrum half in the phases of rucks, maul or melee.
Conversely, the possibility of scoring a volley save within 22 meters after a kick-off as well as the limitation to one save for mauls, instead of two currently, did not reach 75% of votes. necessary to be generalized.
