OPINION: Stop the red card madness

If it wasn’t so serious and important it really would be laughable.

But the reality is World Rugby are stuffing up the game with their ridiculous red card insistence for any tackler that appears to go high on an opponent, even if it is not dangerous and when the said tackler has little say in the actual tackle or the height thereof.

And then the referees, his assistants and the TMO still get it wrong, after multiple slo-mos and replays.

Heck, the players themselves don’t even know what is allowed and what isn’t. Some tackles that seem innocuous are deemed “poor execution” and the tackler is severely punished, other incidents are waved on by the referee and not deemed dangerous at all, while some match officials will consider one tackle worthy of a red card, while in another game it will be a yellow.

There just simply isn’t any consistency. And then, as happened to David Kriel of the Bulls last week, a review panel overturned his red card from last Saturday’s match.

What will a review panel do this week should they decide to consider Johan Grobbelaar’s sending off against Scarlets last Friday, a game the Bulls lost?

I’ve looked at the tackle (or body check) multiple times and see no danger, no malice, no high tackle … it’s simply two big bodies clashing. And it seems the ball-carrier crashed into Grobbelaar. A red card offence? Never!

This is a matter that has been discussed multiple times now and remains one of the most infuriating aspects of modern rugby – the fact the lawmakers and referees and World Rugby cannot recognise and accept that rugby is a contact sport and there will be incidents in a game that could be perceived as dangerous, but simply are not.

Put the red cards away for everything other than clear foul play. And if you, World Rugby, really feel you need to punish someone with a red card and a ban after the match then do it then, after all the factors have been considered, but please, stop this nonsense.

There is a huge difference between a player being dirty and malicious towards an opponent and getting the timing or execution wrong in making a tackle. Let common sense prevail.