mobanmarketThe television match official bunker system could feature at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and will be tested during the U20 Championship in South Africa this summer, World Rugby has confirmed.
The innovation is being trialled during this season’s Super Rugby Pacific tournament and is being considered for World Rugby’s showpiece tournament in France later this year.
How the TMO bunker works
“The Television Match Official (TMO) Bunker is a concept that reflects that mission, having the potential to reduce lengthy stoppages and promote accurate decision-making for foul play, as evidenced in the current Super Rugby Pacific trial,” a World Rugby statement explained.
Red cards for clear and obvious foul play will remain unchanged. The offending player will still receive a red card and will be permanently removed from the game and unable to be replaced.
However, for any incident where a red card is not obvious, a yellow card will be issued and dedicated foul play reviewers in a central bunker will review the incident.
Once the 10-minute sin binning period 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.
A recent Super Rugby Pacific match provides the perfect example of this. Reds lock Angus Blyth was yellow carded for this challenge on Brumbies wing Corey Toole.
ICYMI: Angus Blyth had his yellow card upgraded to a red by TMO for this challenge on Corey Toole.#SuperRugbyPacificpic.twitter.com/AR8OSVO4P3
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) April 8, 2023
However, upon review, the TMO upgraded Blyth’s yellow card to a red one.
Further trials in Test rugby
Rugby’s governing body added that consideration would be given to furthering the trial in the Test arena ahead of the World Cup and that “if the trial is deemed successful and further adoption is supported by the elite rugby stakeholders, including importantly match officials, players, unions and competitions”.
This comes after contentious decisions, such as the dismissal of England full-back Freddie Steward against Ireland during this year’s Six Nations.
He was controversially sent off for a dangerous challenge on Hugo Keenan during the March 18 encounter in Dublin, but a disciplinary panel subsequently rescinded the card.
Similarly, Zach Mercer had his red card rescinded by a disciplinary panel after his sending-off during the Champions Cup fixture between Montpellier and Exeter Chiefs earlier this month.
The statement from World Rugby also confirmed that ‘orange cards’ and 20-minute red cards would not feature at the World Rugby U20 Championship.
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