'This not helpful' - Nigel Owens shares his views on the 20 minute red card
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Former test referee Nigel Owens says that 20-minute red card law that will be trialled during the Rugby Championship 'is not helpful with the drive for player safety.'
For the second year in a row, the Rugby Championship will trail the 20-minute red card law in which a Red-Carded player can be replaced after 20 minutes.
SANZAAR confirmed the news on Thursday with CEO Brendan Morris saying: "As a group we firmly believe the integrity of international matches is very important and that wherever possible matches must be a contest of fifteen versus fifteen.”
Asked about his opinion on the law, Nigel Owens was far less welcoming of the trail than Morris.
"[I'm] Not a fan to be honest. It takes away the deterrent of a RC in my view and does not help with getting change in player behaviour when it comes to the issue of reckless/careless tackles that make contact with the head area. This not helpful with the drive for player safety." tweeted in a reply to a fan.
Not a fan to be honest. It takes away the deterrent of a RC in my view and does not help with getting change in player behaviour when it comes to the issue of reckless/careless tackles that make contact with the head area. This not helpful with the drive for player safety
— Nigel Owens MBE (@Nigelrefowens) July 29, 2022
The 20-minute red card law was used in throughout Super Rugby competitions in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as well as the Rainbow Cup competition and its reintroduction for the 2022 Rugby Championship has reignited the debate.
The vast majority of pundits from the Northern Hemisphere are against the law while many in the Southern Hemisphere are more accommodating to it.
Owens weighed in further on the debate responding to one Twitter user who wrote: '20 mins allows the game to remain competitive and interesting for supporters who have invested time and money to attend the game.'
In reply, Owens tweeted: 'So get the opposition best player in first few mins, he’s off for the rest of the game then we are back to 15 v 15 for the rest of the match.'
He later added that 'If you're happy to have entertainment before player safety then thats disappointing.'
Sorry but I disagree. You wont have a game for fans to go to if we don't change this reckless/carless tackles that can cause serious head injury. If you're happy to have entertainment before player safety then thats disappointing. And it should have been a RC and thats official
— Nigel Owens MBE (@Nigelrefowens) July 29, 2022
Owens really got stuck into the debate, see more of his replies below:
If it’s accidental it shouldn’t be a RC. That’s the issue that needs addressing not bringing in a 20m RC
— Nigel Owens MBE (@Nigelrefowens) July 28, 2022
The deterrent to change player behaviour is much more effective if the team is down to 14 men for the rest of the game than if just for 20mins. Drop the speeding fines few quid and 1 point on your licence and you wont be as careful keeping to the speed limit will you....
— Nigel Owens MBE (@Nigelrefowens) July 29, 2022
Well many are taking the risk by illegal clear outs at ruck and upright or reckless tackles. So the 20m RC is not going to help with changing this behaviour
— Nigel Owens MBE (@Nigelrefowens) July 29, 2022
Red Card Law Trial Explained:
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If a player is red-carded he may be replaced after 20 minutes by another player. The 20 minutes from when a player is red-carded to when they may be replaced is measured as “game time”. This follows the same measurement of time already in place for a yellow-carded player in the sin bin (sin bin clock is stopped when the game clock is stopped).
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A player receives a yellow card and is sin-binned for 10 minutes. If the same player, then returns to the field after serving their 10 minutes suspension and subsequently receives a second yellow card, which equates to an automatic red card. After a further 20 minutes the red carded player can be replaced.
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A player who has been tactically replaced can return to the field to replace a red-carded player. Note if a team has unused replacements (eg #23) still sitting on the bench it does not have to use them to replace a red-carded player before the use of players who have already been substituted tactically (eg #12).
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Any red-carded player cannot return to the field under any circumstance.
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