New Zealand’s top rugby official says the introduction of 20‑minute red cards at all levels of the game is an increasingly urgent necessity if the sport is to remain relevant to younger fans. He has also warned that rugby needs to think more about its paying public if it is serious about enhancing the game’s appeal in the longer term.
With the All Blacks due to face England in the first of two back‑to‑back Tests in Dunedin on Saturday, the New Zealand Rugby chief executive, Mark Robinson, has renewed calls for the red-card system to be reformed this year, urging World Rugby to extend its closed trials to the entire global game.
