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Rugby refereeing changes for the Nations Championship explained

World Rugby briefed all 24 top head coaches on a tougher hip-drop sanction, 20-minute red cards and a limited TMO role before play resumes on Friday 6 November.

By RuckBee Newsroom1 min read
A grey-haired coach in a black jacket stands with arms crossed watching a team practise a scrum on a green field with hedgerows and hills.
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Hip-drop tackles on a ball carrier's legs will be punished more strictly, with a yellow card as the entry point, as the Nations Championship returns with a tightened approach to refereeing.

The changes were set out when the 24 top international head coaches met World Rugby officials outside London, with a year to go until the World Cup. BBC Sport reported the details of the changes.

Red cards and the TMO

Offences at the tackle and breakdown that reach the red-card threshold will bring a 20-minute red card. A permanent red card is kept for egregious foul play away from the ball. The Head Contact Process has also been updated to include illegal acts at the breakdown.

The TMO will step in only for clear and obvious errors, mainly in foul play and try-scoring situations.

Scrums and finals weekend

At the scrum, loosehead props must have their right shoulders out, and hookers must keep the brake foot grounded in the tunnel. The scrum presentation to officials was led by Jonathan Humphreys, with Warren Gatland attending as a World Rugby advisor.

On finals weekend, every match except the showpiece will use golden point if teams are level after 80 minutes.

The numbers behind the push

World Rugby data show the average number of tries per international match has risen from 6.3 to 8.2, while successful penalty kicks per game have fallen from 3.5 to 1.5.

More on RuckBee: Ireland · Argentina · Uncapped Ollie Leatherbarrow named in Scotland Nations Championship squad

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