Lawmakers say the 20-minute red card is designed to "punish the player and not the team", with sides able to replace a dismissed player after 20 minutes. The men's Six Nations sta

Referees can still hand out a permanent red card for foul play that is deemed to be deliberate and dangerous, but for technical offences that are not deliberate or intentional the offending team can r

This year's Six Nations rugby competition will feature 20-minute red cards for the first time after the law variation was trialled during November internationals, with France playing the opening match against Wales on Saturday week. The system has been used in the Southern Hemisphere's Rugby Championship since 2021.