Law Change Everyone Demanded After Rugby World Cup Final Now Permanent

Tuesday, 02 September 2025 at 20:14

byRugby Rucker

Following the Rugby World Cup final at the Stade de France, where All Blacks captain Sam Cane was controversially shown a red card, rugby fans reignited calls for the introduction of the “20-minute red card” rule.

Cane’s Incident

In the first half of the final, Cane made contact with Jesse Kriel’s head with his shoulder. Referee Wayne Barnes initially sent him to the sin-bin, but after a bunker review, the punishment was upgraded to a full red card. The decision sparked widespread debate, with many arguing the dismissal ruined the contest.

Fans voiced frustration online:

“Need to get some southern innovation and bring in the 20-minute red card – that way a decision like this won’t ruin the whole game.”
“Red card should be 20 minutes.”
“A different red card option is 20 minutes off, then a replacement player can come on. Better for the game & offender still suspended etc.”

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The 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 red card in a men's Rugby World Cup final 🟥 New Zealand are down to 14 after Sam Cane sees red for this... #NZLvRSA | #RWCFinal

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7:47 PM · Oct 28, 2023

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The 20-Minute Red Card Trial

The idea was first tested in Super Rugby, designed to balance discipline with fairness. Under the system, a player who received a red card would spend 20 minutes off the field, after which a substitute could enter. This punished the offending player but prevented their team from being permanently reduced to 14 men.

Although the trial attracted attention and debate, it was not adopted for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Permanent Law Change

Now, after further testing – including its use in the women’s World Cup and the Rugby Championship – the 20-minute red card is set to become permanent and is expected to feature in the build-up to Rugby World Cup 2027 and beyond.

Support and Criticism

Critics argue that 20 minutes is not a strong enough deterrent for dangerous tackles and illegal head contact. However, World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson defended the law:

“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.”

He added:

“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.”

“Goodbye Caterpillar ruck” – Four more rugby law changes for 2025

Rugby thrives on a mix of tradition and evolution, but some laws may no longer serve the game as effectively as they once did.

As the sport grows faster, stronger, and more tactical, certain laws stand out as ripe for reconsideration—not to upend the game, but to make it fairer, safer, and more exciting.

We highlight four specific laws that, with thoughtful updates, could better reflect the way rugby is played today. These ideas come from a deep respect for the game and a desire to see it flourish for players and fans alike.

World Rugby has shown it’s willing to adapt in recent years—these could be the next steps in that evolution.

1. Fewer Substitutions

Rugby has changed significantly over the years, and one of the biggest shifts is how the bench is used. These days, teams often bring on almost an entirely new forward pack late in the game. Big, fresh players crash into tired defenders, making the final 20 minutes less about skill and endurance, and more about brute force. Many fans and former players feel this has turned rugby into a collision sport rather than a contest of stamina and intelligence.

Reducing the number of substitutions would encourage players to pace themselves. Space would open up in the second half, creating more opportunities for creative play rather than endless phases of pick-and-go. It would reward fitness, smart decision-making, and those capable of performing for the full 80 minutes.

Fewer substitutions wouldn’t just make the game more exciting—it would make it fairer, safer, and more in line with the spirit of what rugby has always been about.

With the rise of 6–2 and even 7–1 bench splits, pioneered by Rassie Erasmus, the trend seems to be heading in the opposite direction. That’s all the more reason to act now.

2. Scrap the Caterpillar Ruck

The caterpillar ruck is one of those tactics that, while legal, just doesn’t sit right with many who love the game. It involves players lining up behind a ruck in a queue, giving the scrum-half extra time and space to kick.

It slows the game to a crawl, gives the defence no real chance to compete, and often feels more like a way to kill momentum than build it.

It may be clever, but it’s not entertaining. Fans want to see fast, hard-fought rugby—not box-kick after box-kick with a queue of bodies shielding the kicker. Eliminating or limiting the caterpillar ruck would speed up the game and reintroduce unpredictability at the breakdown.

This isn’t about removing strategy. It’s about keeping the game flowing and true to what makes rugby exciting: dynamic, contested play.

Referees have improved at calling “use it” earlier, which helps speed things up, but more needs to be done. Getting rid of the caterpillar ruck would go a long way toward fixing the issue.

3. Remove the 20-Minute Red Card

The 20-minute red card was introduced as a middle ground—punishing dangerous play without completely ruining a match. But let’s be honest: it sends the wrong message. If a player commits a reckless or dangerous act, 20 minutes off the field doesn’t always feel like enough—especially for serious offenses, like a high tackle that could end an opponent’s game or season.

Rugby has made major strides in protecting players, especially around the head and neck. Keeping the full red card—where the offending team plays a man down for the rest of the match—reaffirms that commitment. It makes the consequences clear: cross the line, and your team suffers. That’s how you change behaviour.

Yes, it’s tough. Sometimes it may seem harsh. But safety must come first. It’s about respecting the game and the long-term health of every player on the field.

In many ways, the 20-minute red gives officials a cop-out. It’s often seen as the easy option to avoid controversy—even when a full red card is justified.

4. Outlaw the Lineout Maul

Few things in rugby divide opinion quite like the driving maul from a lineout. For some, it’s a show of power and coordination. But for many fans, it feels like a loophole — a near-guaranteed way to score that sucks the creativity and unpredictability out of the game.

A well-drilled pack can set up a maul five metres out, trundle forward almost unstoppably, and fall over the line for a try. Where’s the skill in that? It’s become rugby’s cheat code — more about physics and numbers than ingenuity or flair.

Outlawing the maul as a direct scoring weapon would open the game up. Instead of endless rolling rucks towards the try-line, teams would need to find inventive ways to use space, pass under pressure, or outsmart the defence. That’s what gets fans on their feet.

Defenders, too, would benefit. At the moment, they’re often left with little option but to illegally collapse a maul, leading to a penalty or yellow card. Take away the automatic try-machine, and we’d see fewer cynical infringements, less frustration, and a fairer contest.

The maul will always have a place as a tactical tool in the middle of the pitch — but when it’s allowed to dominate the scoreboard, it turns rugby into something it was never meant to be.