A new 'TMO bunker' will be trialled on the world stage from tomorrow, including Wales Under-20s' clash with New Zealand and England v Ireland.
The system will allow a yellow card awarded on-field to be upgraded to a red card during the 10-minute sin bin window. A similar trial has been run in Super Rugby Pacific this season, with World Rugby looking to "assist officiating, enhance game flow and advance welfare"
If the trial is deemed a success, it could be used in this summer's senior Rugby World Cup warm-up matches and even the tournament itself.
Initial trials in Super Rugby have seen the amount of "dead time" in matches reduced by several minutes, with incidents being scrutinised by the TMO in detail while the match continues.
World Rugby's principles for the trial are as follows:
- Clear and obvious red cards for foul play will receive a red card resulting in the player being permanently being removed from the game and unable to be replaced
- For any incident where a red card is not initially clear and obvious, a yellow card will be issued and dedicated foul play reviewers in a central bunker will review the incident using all available technology and footage
- Once 10 minutes has elapsed, the yellow card is either upheld and the player returns to the action or it is upgraded and the player permanently leaves the field, unable to be replaced
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The concept has initially been welcomed by a number of players and other stakeholders.
“I think it’s a good idea,” England fullback Freddie Steward told MailOnline previously. He received a controversial red card for a collision with Ireland’s Hugo Keenan during the Six Nations and the TMO bunker will allow more time for such crucial calls to be made properly without disrupting the flow of the game for endless minutes.
“When something like that happens it can take the sting out of the game with the TMO and the referee involved,” said Steward. “I think it’s a good idea to leave that to other officials to review while the game can continue. I think it’s brilliant.”
World Rugby said in a statement: "Consideration will be given to furthering the trial in the test arena ahead of Rugby World Cup 2023 in France if the trial is deemed successful and further adoption is supported by the elite rugby stakeholders."
A revolutionary new rugby ball which is set to change the way the game is refereed is also to be introduced at the Under-20s tournament when it begins on Saturday. The new smart ball technology will be trialled at next month's under-20 Rugby World Championship and will help officials make accurate decisions more quickly and keep games flowing.
World Rugby has collaborated with analytics company Sportable and sports equipment manufacturer Gilbert to help develop the ball and "explore how the emergence of new technology and artificial intelligence can help shape the future of the sport, aiding the flow of the game and taking fan experience to the next level".
It is hoped that the smart ball will help referees with their decisions by tackling a number of common, but challenging, aspects of law. These areas include whether a ball has been passed forward, whether the ball is over the try-line, whether the ball has been touched in flight and line, where touch has been found and whether a lineout throw was straight.
