Players are partly to blame for a recent rash of red cards but laws need updating to minimise confusion and help referees
It has been obvious for a while that rugby union has a problem with its law book. Which is to say people cherrypick the bits they like, gloss over some of the less convenient parts, flag up certain things only to lose interest by next week, and cling pedantically to woolly wording which should have been redrafted years ago. Referees, coaches, players, the media and supporters have all been guilty, depending upon which day of the week it is.
The breadth of the problem has been underlined in the past 10 days. A rash of five red cards inside 24 hours in the Premiership has led to complaints, justified in several cases, of players being their own worst enemies. With player welfare and brain trauma front and centre of every agenda, how difficult is it to grasp that head-high tackles remain a very serious danger? How much longer until the penny drops?
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