Six Nations set for new laws and controversial change after announcement
Next year's Six Nations could feature a 20-minute red card as World Rugby announced that a series of law trials had moved a step closer to global adoption.
A series of law amendments and changes have been trialled across several international and domestic competitions - with the Rugby Championship being the most high profile. Now, these law changes will go out to union and region consultation ahead of the World Rugby Council meeting on 14 November.
Should they be approved by the Council at that meeting, then they will be adopted globally on a trial basis, most likely from January 1 - with the 2025 Six Nations kicking off later that month.
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The most contentious of the changes is a 20-minute red card, with teams having the ability to replace the carded player after that period of time. There was just one 20-minute red card in the recent Rugby Championship, with Argentina replacement Pablo Matera sent off against South Africa in their final game.
Welsh referee Nigel Owens has made his feelings clear on the proposed 20-minute red card, adding his support to fellow official Mathieu Raynal in speaking out against it.
“As far as the 20-minute red card idea is concerned, I’m not a fan. As (former Test referee) Mathieu (Raynal) has said, I don’t believe it will really solve any of the problems that we have in the game at the moment,” Owens wrote in his recent WalesOnline column.
“If someone on the pitch has committed a red card offence, they should be given a red card that sees them sin-binned for the rest of the game. Simple as that.”
Other law changes include a reduced conversion time, 30-second limits for scrums and lineouts, marking in the 22 from kick-offs, single-stop mauls and enhanced protection of scrum-halves.
World Rugby claim that the trials have resulted in a host of positive impacts on the game, including increased ball-in-play time and short overall match times, while there have been more contestable restarts, more dynamic mauls, fewer lineout infringements and quicker set-pieces and kicks.
It's all part of their mission to grow the sport's audience by making it more accessible and engaging.
Speaking about the changes, World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “This is another important step forward for the Shape of the Game programme.
"As a package, these trials demonstrate our commitment to making rugby as enjoyable as possible for audiences, while maintaining the integrity and competitive nature of the game. The positive outcomes from the trials reinforce our belief that these adjustments will bring lasting benefits to both players and fans.”