Lawmakers say the 20-minute red card is designed to "punish the player and not the team", with sides able to replace a dismissed player after 20 minutes. The men's Six Nations sta

The Six Nations is to adopt the 20-minute red cards that were trialled during the autumn. For the first time in the Championship, players sent off for technical offences can be replaced by a team-mate after 20 minutes have elapsed in an initiative design to punish players and not teams.

This year's Six Nations rugby competition will feature 20-minute red cards for the first time after the law variation was trialled during November internationals, with France playing the opening match against Wales on Saturday week. The system has been used in the Southern Hemisphere's Rugby Championship since 2021.