STF suggests Orange cards to replace rugby’s red-card system

Orange cards could be the answer to brandishing red cards for dangerous tackles if World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, accepts the ‘Safe Tackle Framework’ concept which will be trialled in New Zealand next season.

Pundits called for changes to rugby’s red-card system claiming that last week's Test between Australia and New Zealand was ruined when two players were sent off.

The Test in Brisbane ended in an upset 24-22 victory for the Wallabies but much of the post-match debate has centred on the red cards shown to Australia's Lachie Swinton and New Zealand's Ofa Tuungafasi.

Both were marched for reckless high tackles in the first half, with their absence contributing to a chaotic match that was thrilling to watch but upset some rugby purists.

“My Safe Tackle Framework (STF) has an ‘onfield orange card’ which will sort this mess out,” said Ravindu Athukorala, Director of Rugby at Manukau Rovers RFC in Auckland who is the founder and creator of the safety first and compliance based tackle framework.

“The current World Rugby high tackle framework focuses on safety ...rightly so. But it has its limitations and inflexibility in a fluid game of contact. Under the current framework, any direct contact to the head or neck area will be dealt with a card, most likely a red. My STF on-field framework suggests using an orange card. And in between, yellow and red. Only use red for outright and blatant foul play,” said the former Royal and CH&FC flanker popularly known as ‘Boa Athu’. “Where there is contact to the head area, there will be plenty of instances when a tackler gets it wrong. Rather than ruin the contest, a common sense approach of an orange card - 10 minute sin bin with a post-match judicial hearing. This allows the game to go on without becoming a handicap. It looks after everyone – players, referees and most importantly fans,” said Athukorala, a World Rugby Level 3 coach who is hopeful STF will be adopted by World Rugby after a successful trial at a 2021 New Zealand competition.

Veterans such as former All Blacks John Kirwan and Christian Cullen, along with ex-Wallabies Phil Kearns and Tim Horan, have also claimed red cards were "ruining the spectacle" of the game.

Kirwan has suggested that, rather than being sent off, players who accidentally tackle high should be sinbinned for 10 minutes, then hauled before the judiciary to face bans.

However, All Blacks assistant coach John Plumtree said that, regardless of intent, the rules were designed to protect players and everyone on the field needed to follow them.

"We've got an obligation to ensure on the field that the players are safe," he told reporters in a conference call.

"When we're coaching the players, we're always talking about body height and making sure that in contact we do the right thing and target the right areas.

"But at times, the player's going to get that wrong under pressure and we saw that on the weekend."