Rugby: FFR, LNR & Provale oppose World Rugby's 20-minute red card trial

"The Fédération Française de Rugby, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby and Provale (French national rugby players' union) are firmly opposed to the adoption of the 20-minute red card rule and call on World Rugby to base itself on evidence before modifying such a crucial sanction, particularly with regard to the impact on player safety," they said a joint statement on 14/10/2024.

The three French bodies are reacting to the announcement that World Rugby intends to submit the possibility of replacing a player who has received a red card after 20 minutes, which has been tested in several competitions, to a vote by its board on 14/11/2024, with the aim of gradually extending it to all its competitions.

"The testing of this rule change in four competitions, for which the data collected remains insufficient, cannot be considered to be a convincing reason for improvement when considering worldwide implementation. For example, at the U20 World Championship, only three red cards were issued, making the conclusions insignificant. Although some believe that this rule will encourage a more fluid game…