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Super Rugby Aotearoa's red card sub law has divided opinion

By Josh Raisey
(Photo by Marty Melville/AFP via Getty Images)

As seen last week with World Rugby’s optional law changes for the Covid-19 pandemic, change isn’t always popular and Super Rugby’s plan to trial different innovations in the upcoming Super Rugby Aotearoa competition has also been met with some rancour. 

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While the proposals for a golden point in tied matches and stricter refereeing at the breakdown have not caused a great uproar, the change to the red card punishment has. The new competition will see a red-carded player removed from the game completely but they can be replaced after 20 minutes, meaning the new law sits somewhere between a yellow card and a conventional red. 

This has proven to be somewhat polarising, with as many people for as against such a game-changing law. The greatest concern is that the significance of the red card has now been devalued. With the punishment significantly reduced, the feeling is that the safety of the game could be compromised, with some even suggesting this could lead to the tactic of targeting players early on. 

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This may be a far stretch, as it would still be detrimental to the offending team, but the punishment will undoubtedly be less severe and the consequences of foul play will not be as calamitous. While it may seem inconsequential compared to the possible dangers of this change, there are fears that this may damage the spectacle of the game. 

Yellow cards usually force the punished team to adopt a conservative approach during the ten-minute spell, so 20 minutes may lead to large swathes of negative play during the game. However, there is always that risk if a team is reduced to 14 players for the remainder of the game. 

Moreover, World Rugby actually addressed this issue last week in their optional laws with the idea of an orange card, although it was not well received. That was slightly different from Super Rugby’s idea, but was nonetheless another halfway house between a yellow and red. 

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Equally there are those that agree with this red card sub idea, purely because it maintains the spectacle of two even teams going head-to-head. 

The draconian approach that officials have taken in recent years has certainly irked some. The 2019 World Cup saw as many red cards – nine – as the previous five tournaments combined, which indicates this stricter approach, particularly regarding the tackle and entry to rucks. 

Not only will this new red card ruling allow the punished team to remain competitive, but it avoids the risk of ruining a game for fans, which is integral to the product of sport as a whole. 

The focus is now moving towards punishing the player, rather than the team and those watching. It’s worth noting that all but one team that had a player red-carded at the RWC lost their match. 

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While some will argue that that is the point of the card, and teams should be punished as well, the wide variety of red card offences today creates a great deal of complexity. For instance, Sebastien Vahaamahina’s wanton and despicable elbow to Aaron Wainwright in the quarter-final was so unnecessary that perhaps the team as a whole should rightly pay the price to ensure acts like that are reduced. 

Conversely, a poorly timed tackle, such as Tomas Lavanini’s on Owen Farrell in Argentina’s contest with England, was just a case of poor technique rather than any malice, which is why there are those that appreciate the intentions of Super Rugby in making sure only the player – and not the team – is gravely punished. 

Overall, the feeling is these law changes are a sign of Super Rugby kowtowing to the complaints that red cards ruin matches rather than emphasising the message that red cards are there to serve as a deterrent against dangerous play. 

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J
Jon 24 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

31 Go to comments
j
john 3 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 7 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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