The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) has joined France in voicing strong opposition to World Rugby’s proposed global trial of the 20-minute red card.
Ireland’s stance further intensifies the pushback against a law change that has polarized opinions across the rugby community.
In a statement released on Friday, the IRFU emphasized their commitment to player welfare and the integrity of the game, rejecting the idea of permanently adopting the 20-minute red card.
“The IRFU does not support the permanent adoption of a 20-minute red card,” the statement read.
“Player welfare and safety are paramount to the core values of the game and the option of a permanent red card for deliberate and intentional acts of foul play supports those values and protects the integrity of the game.
“The IRFU welcomes the variation to World Rugby’s closed law trial, which will be adopted in the upcoming Autumn Nations Series, whereby Match Officials will retain the ability to award a permanent red card for acts of foul play which are deemed deliberate and dangerous.
“Match officials will also have the option of a 20-Minute Red Card for technical acts of foul play deemed not to be deliberate or intentional.
“In these circumstances, the player will be removed from the field of play with the offending team able to replace that player after 20 minutes, with one of their available replacements, which was also trialled in this year’s Rugby Championship.”
Ireland’s stance comes just days after the French Rugby Federation (FFR) and National Rugby League (LNR) issued a combined statement outlining their own concerns about the proposal.
In their statement earlier this week, the FFR and LNR stressed that reducing the red card to a temporary sanction would weaken its function as a deterrent to unsporting and dangerous behaviour, and could even encourage more aggressive tactics on the field.
The opposition from two of Europe’s most influential rugby nations casts doubt on whether World Rugby’s plan to make the 20-minute red card a global law will gain the necessary support, with the council set to meet on 14 November to discuss the issue.
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