French rugby ‘reiterates desire’ to block World Rugby’s controversial law trial from becoming permanent and ‘actively advocates’ alternative
Angus Gardner issues a red card during France v South Africa and an inset of a TMO Bunker review.
French rugby has a ‘unanimous’ view on World Rugby’s controversial 20-minute red card law trial and plans to continue to fight its permanent implementation.
That is according to a joint statement from the Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR) and La Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), the top governing bodies in French rugby, who run the national teams as the top two club competitions, respectively.
The 20-minute red card was initially trialled in Super Rugby Pacific and then the Rugby Championship before it was approved for a global trial in all elite competitions in 2025.
French rugby vehemently opposes World Rugby’s law trial
Previously, any red card issued by a referee resulted in a team playing the remainder of the match with one less player. That was changed with the law trial, as after a 20-minute sin-binning period, the player sent off could be replaced by an available replacement after 20 minutes of playing time.
This went hand-in-hand with the Foul Play Review Officer, aka the Bunker, as the referee would issue a yellow card with the bunker, then decide whether the incident met the red card threshold and could upgrade the sanction.
It is widely understood that the SANZAAR nations have been in support of the 20-minute red card and want it permanently added to the lawbook, but the Six Nations unions have resisted, with the French being among the most vocal. When the law was greenlit for a global trial, it was also tweaked to give the referee the power to still issue a permanent red card, which is believed to have been crucial to getting the trial pushed through.
“The 20-minute red card aims to maintain the spectacle and competitive integrity of elite matches, while upholding rugby’s unwavering commitment to player welfare. The trial will operate in all elite competitions ahead of a final decision on permanent adoption in 2026,” a World Rugby statement read in May last year when the global law trial was announced.
The French have remained vehemently opposed to the law and have rejected the claim that red cards ruin matches, with a 2024 statement from French federations reading: “Although some believe that this rule will promote smoother play, statistics provided by the FFR to World Rugby show that a red card does not systematically mean defeat for the penalised team.
“Indeed, the analysis based on 480 TOP 14 matches and Tier 1 international matches shows that only 60% of the teams receiving a red card lost at the end of the match.”
Adding: “Turning this sanction into a temporary expulsion could encourage dangerous behaviour, thereby compromising player safety, which must remain the top priority.”
Unanimous stance
Following French rugby’s own ‘Shape of the Game’ meeting, which brought together all stakeholders in French rugby, their opposition to the law trial has not wavered.
“French rugby, as a whole and with the unanimous support of all participants, reaffirmed the importance of opposing the 20-minute red card system as currently used by World Rugby, which, in its view, represents a major threat to the sport,” a statement issued on Monday read.
“Thus, French rugby reiterates its desire to prevent the implementation of the 20-minute red card under the conditions of the ongoing experiment conducted by World Rugby.”
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Alternative implementation of the 20-minute red cards
It comes as no surprise that the French are opposing the 20-minute red card, but the joint statement included a recommendation on how the law could be altered with the use of the Foul Play Review Officer.
“French rugby actively advocates for the following recommendations for changes: That the referee be able to issue a 20-minute red card directly on the field; That the bunker be able to issue a permanent red card; That the name of the card [20-minute red] be changed, perhaps even to an orange card.”
The statement also confirmed that French rugby will bring a halt to its own law trial that has been in place since 2018. From next season, teams will only be permitted eight substitutions per game, a reduction from the current 12. Teams still had eight replacements on the bench during this period, but were permitted to make more tactical substitutions.
