Japan 2019's unwanted record
SPOTLIGHT: We have not yet reached the end of the pool matches and already more players have been sent off (red-carded) at this tournament than at any of the previous eight World Cups.
This is the ninth World Cup and so far six players have been sent off, just over a quarter of all players sent off at World Cups.
The previous record stood at four – in 1995 and 1999.
The only World Cup at which nobody was sent off is the one in 2003 in Australasia.
The players sent off this year are John Quill (United States), Facundo Gattas (Uruguay), Ed Fidow (Samoa), Andrea Lovotti (Italy), Tomas Lavanini (Argentina) and Josh Larsen (Canada).
The red cards here are, with one exception, for foul play in physical contact with the neck/head area.
Fidow is the exception. He was sent off was for a second yellow card. Each of his yellow cards was for an action that resulted in a penalty try, the first time for collapsing a maul, the second time for sliding knees first into an opponent who was on the ground in the act of trying to score a try.
Each of Fidow’s actions was considered foul play, though not serious enough to warrant a red card on its own.
That is not all. There are players who have been cited and suspended.
The criterion for citing and suspension is for foul play which had deserved a red card.
Reece Hodge (Australia), Rey Lee-Lo (Samoa), Motu Matu’u (Samoa) and Nicola Quaglio (Italy) have been cited and suspended.
https://youtu.be/jbPQ68NbWCU
The number of players sent off at each World Cup:
1987: Two
1991: Two
1995: Four
1999: Four
2003: None
2007: Two
2011: Two
2015: One
2019: Six so far
https://youtu.be/Kvfz4XkBJmo
Players Sent off
1987: Huw Richards (Wales), David Codey (Australia)
1991: Pedro Sporleder (Argentina), Mat Keenan (Samoa)
1995: Feleti Mahoni (Tonga), James Dalton (South Africa), Gareth Rees (Canada), Rod Snow (Canada)
1999: Marika Vunibaka (Fiji), Dan Baugh (Canada)Brendan Venter (South Africa), Ngalu Taufo’ou (Tonga)
2007: Hale T-Pole (Tonga), Jacques Nieuwenhuis (Namibia)
2011: Paul Williams (Samoa), Sam Warburton (Wales)
2015: Agustín Ormaechea (Uruguay)
2019: John Quill (USA), Facundo Gattas (Uruguay), Ed Fidow (Samoa), Andrea Lovotti (Italy), Tomas Lavanini (Argentina), Josh Larsen (Canada)
Red Cards by Country
Four: Canada
Three: Samoa, Tonga
Two: Argentina, South Africa, Uruguay, Wales
One: Australia, Fiji, Italy, Namibia, USA
None: England, France, Georgia, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Scotland
Reasons for Sending off
Punching: Nine
Dangerous tackle: Eight
Stamping: Four
Head-butt: One
Two yellow cards: One
