Nigel Owens issues warning on law changes

NEWS: Nigel Owens, the game’s best-known former match official, is not a fan of the proposed law changes World Rugby announced and tested this year.

Owens took to social media to voice his concerns about the changes and issued a warning that the game should not be diminished. This follows hot on the heels of the French Rugby Federation (FFR) which has also openly criticised some of the new law proposals.

The new laws were tested in both the Rugby Championship and Super Rugby this year and there seem to be two camps on the issue.

The Southern Hemisphere is all for it, while the North, especially France, has been very vocal that it should be banished to the rubbish bin.

“Rugby union has always been a game for all shapes and sizes, that along with its many other wonderful virtues is why so many of us love this game. We must be very careful not to diminish that,” Owen commented on his social media.

Rugby union has always been a game for all shapes and sizes, that along with its many other wonderful virtues is why so many of us love this game. We must be very careful not to diminish that.

— Nigel Owens MBE (@Nigelrefowens) October 10, 2024

In his column on WalesOnline, Owens wrote: “As far as the 20-minute red card idea is concerned, I’m not a fan. As (former Test referee) Mathieu [Raynal] has said, I don’t believe it will really solve any of the problems that we have in the game at the moment,” Owens wrote.

“If someone on the pitch has committed a red card offence, they should be given a red card that sees them sin-binned for the rest of the game. Simple as that.”

Owens agrees with the view of France’s former top referee Raynal but does suggest that the law should be changed to stop players from being sent off for what he sees as “accidental” incidents.

“Again, more attention needs to be paid to the actual issues that have brought us to the discussion of the 20-minute red card,” the former Test referee wrote.

The French Rugby Federation is expected to present potential law amendments to the world governing body in a bid to speed up the game and increase bal-in-play time.

The FFR is staunchly opposed to the adoption of the 20-minute red card and it will form part of the proposal they intend presenting to World Rugby before the end of the season.

Former international referees Romain Poite and Raynal stepped into new roles as joint chiefs of the French referees and are key role players in the new proposals.