World Rugby drops bombshell ahead of British and Irish Lions series as controversial red card law gets global green light
British and Irish Lions captain and head coach for the 2025 tour, Maro Itoje and Andy Farrell, and Garry Ringrose receiving a 20-minute red card.
World Rugby have announced that the 20-minute red card will be used in all elite competitions from August 1 following a decision by the council.
The game’s global governing body have confirmed that it will be in operation for the Women’s Rugby World Cup and the World Rugby U20 Championship.
Meanwhile, RugbyPass, who are World Rugby-owned, have reported that it will also be in place for the upcoming British and Irish Lions series.
With the first Test just under two months away, it is a decision which could have significant ramifications during the tour.
What the law does
The law, which allows a team to replace a red-carded player after 20 minutes has elapsed, has very much divided opinion, with the southern hemisphere hugely in favour of the move and the north less so.
Ireland and France have publicly come out against the law, but it was trialled in the recent Six Nations Championship for the first time with those two nations ironically the only beneficiaries.
In the tournament opener, Romain Ntamack was sent-off against Wales, while Garry Ringrose also received his marching orders against the Welshmen later in the competition.
Critics argue that it undermines player welfare and the sport’s battle against concussion, but new World Rugby chair Brett Robinson insists that there has so far not been an increase in dangerous tackles during previous trials.
“Our mission is to ensure rugby is a compelling sport to play and watch. The 20-minute red card preserves the fairness and drama of elite competition by punishing the individual, not the entire team or the spectacle,” Robinson said.
“Player welfare is non-negotiable. We monitor data around head injuries, tackle height, and concussion rigorously – and transparently. If evidence ever indicated this trial posed greater risk, we would end it immediately.”
The 20-minute red has been used in Super Rugby Pacific over the past few seasons, but the north has been reluctant to adopt it.
It was not introduced in the Investec Champions Cup or any of the big northern hemisphere domestic competitions, but its inclusion in the Six Nations was a significant moment.
World Rugby confirms that referees will retain the authority to issue a full and permanent red card for any foul play considered deliberate and highly dangerous. Two yellow cards will constitute a 20-minute red card, unless the second offence meets the threshold for a full red card.
The law’s supporters
The likes of All Blacks great Justin Marshall have been staunch advocates of the law and he recently went on a rant worrying about the implications for the Lions series should it not be used.
“People are going to spend a s***load of money to come from the UK to come and watch this [British and Irish Lions] series and, if we get two red cards in the first 10 minutes of the first two Test matches, and even the third heaven forbid, because we can’t get our head around the fact that we can penalise that player,” he said on the GBRANZ podcast.
“It’s 20 minutes that a team’s got to cope, where the other team have a massive advantage, and then that player is out of the game. He has been punished and then he will get punished afterwards.
“If you’re going to say: ‘It will go unpunished’, he will be punished, the team’s been punished but the game has only been punished for 20 minutes.
“Can’t we just see common sense?”
From the start of next season, the Premiership, United Rugby Championship and the Top 14, as well as the Champions Cup, will likely operate the system.
That comes after the council also approved a measure which stated that from 2025 all law trials in the men’s game will start from August 1 each year – a decision which is mainly designed to make sure international matches are operating the same laws.
READ MORE: Justin Marshall goes on epic World Rugby rant as governing body ‘ruining the game’ over red card law
