SANZAAR to retain 20-minute red card law in Rugby Championship

SANZAAR have confirmed that they have retained the 20-minute red card trial in the upcoming Rugby Championship tournament.

First introduced during the 2020 Super Rugby season, the law was also in place during the 2021 and 2022 editions while it was also implement on the international arena during last year's Rugby Championship.

According to the rule, a player red-carded can be replaced by another player after a 20-minute period. Similarly, a player receiving two yellow cards which is equivalent to a red card can also be replaced after a 20-minute period.

The player coming in as a replacement can also be a player who has been tactically replaced during the course of the game.

"This is a great decision for The Rugby Championship and follows on from its application in Super Rugby. All the SANZAAR national unions - Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - are fully behind the extension of the red-card law trail. 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," said SANZAAR chief executive Brendan Morris.

"Within the context of the games' laws, SANZAAR believes that a 20-minute Red Card allows for a significant deterrent to deliberate acts of foul play, while it also protects the contest of fifteen on fifteen, which is what our unions, broadcasters and fans are telling us is important."

"SANZAAR stands alongside World Rugby’s important work on managing foul play and player welfare and will conduct a formal research project across the 2022 TRC period with all comparative findings to be shared with World Rugby at the end of the season. The aim is to gather the necessary information that allows the 20-minute red card trial to be accepted into the full laws of the game in the future."

The opening round will kick-off on 6th August with New Zealand facing South Africa while Argentina will host Australia.