Orange card incoming: Five new rugby law changes set for 2027

From endless scrum resets to caterpillar rucks that take longer than a trip to the bar, some things need to change.

World Rugby has made changes in recent years, but we reckon there's still work to do.

Some ideas will be popular. Others might upset a few coaches. And one could leave Rassie Erasmus reaching for the headache tablets.

Here are five changes we'd love to see before the next World Cup.

These are RUCK's ideas, not confirmed law changes for 2027.

Let's start with a simple one. Rugby needs an orange card.

France has already tried the idea, and we reckon the rest of the world should take note.

The rule is simple. A player who gets an orange card must leave the pitch for good.

However, their team can bring on a new player after 20 minutes.

A straight red card would still leave a team one man short for the rest of the match.

World Rugby already allows 20-minute red cards. An orange card would make the two types of red card much easier for fans to tell apart.

Nobody wants to see foul play go without a ban. But should one close call ruin a World Cup final after just ten minutes?

RUCK verdict: Keep red cards for the worst acts of foul play. Give referees an orange card for less severe cases. Simple, fair and long overdue.

Few things in modern rugby look more silly than six huge forwards forming a human centipede behind a ruck.

The scrum-half stands there, moving the ball into place, while the rest of us wait for something to happen.

It's meant to be rugby, not a queue at airport security.

Teams use the caterpillar ruck to give their scrum-half more space and time to kick the ball.

It works. But let's face it, it's also dull.

We want to see tighter rules that stop teams adding more players just to make the ruck longer.

World Rugby has already issued guidance asking referees to call "use it" sooner. But we'd go one step further.

Once the ball is ready, get on with it.

RUCK verdict: Nobody pays good money to watch a scrum-half spend 15 seconds building a caterpillar. Scrap it and bring some pace back to the game.

Scrums are one of rugby's great traditions.

Watching two packs go head-to-head can be great. Watching them collapse four times before the ball goes in? Not so much.

We've all been there.

A scrum goes down. The referee blows his whistle. Everyone stands up. The front rows have a little chat. Then we start again.

Before you know it, two minutes have gone.

We're not saying scrums should be scrapped. Far from it.

Instead, we'd bring in a strict limit on resets. After one reset, the referee should make a clear call if the next scrum fails.

Player safety must still come first. Referees would have the power to order more resets if needed.

It's one more idea to add to the major rugby law changes already made ahead of 2027.

RUCK verdict: Keep the scrum battle. Cut out the endless delays. Fans want more action and fewer meetings between eight blokes with cauliflower ears.

This one might not go down too well in South Africa.

The Springboks have turned their famous Bomb Squad into one of the most feared weapons in world rugby.

And fair play to them. Nobody does it better.

But does rugby really need eight players on the bench?

The modern game is all about power. Fresh forwards come on after half-time to smash into tired players.

Cutting the bench to six would force coaches to change their plans.

Players who can cover more than one role would be worth their weight in gold. Fitness would also play a much bigger part.

Of course, there are risks.

A smaller bench could leave players more tired. It could also raise safety fears, mainly in the front row.

Any change would need to be tested first, with player safety at the heart of it.

RUCK verdict: The Bomb Squad is great, but should rugby be a battle between two sets of forwards every 40 minutes? A smaller bench might bring back more space, speed and skill. We'd love to see it tested.

Nothing kills the mood quite like cheering a great try, only to spend the next four minutes watching a referee stare at a giant screen.

Was there a knock-on?

Was someone blocked?

Did a player breathe too loudly near a defender three phases ago?

By the time the referee makes a call, half the crowd has forgotten why they were cheering.

The TMO plays a key role. Nobody wants a World Cup decided by a clear mistake.

But there has to be a better way.

We'd bring in a 60-second time limit for most TMO reviews.

If there's no clear proof to change the referee's first call, let it stand.

Serious foul play, player safety and tricky cases would not have a time limit.

RUCK verdict: The TMO should help referees, not take over the game. If it takes five minutes and 17 camera angles to spot a foul, was it really that clear in the first place?