The 2025 edition of the Six Nations will use 20-minute red cards for the first time, the tournament organisers have confirmed.
It comes following a trial during the Autumn Nations Cup in November and will be introduced at this year’s men’s, women’s and Under-20s Championships.
The law change means teams will be able to replace players sent off for technical offences after 20 minutes, with the move designed to impact individuals instead of the collective.
However, referees will still be able to brandish permanent red cards for “deliberate and dangerous acts of foul play”.
Commenting on the change, Six Nations chief of rugby Julie Paterson said: “Across the game, everyone is working together to ensure we are exploring new and innovative ways to make the game as safe as possible, alongside ambitions to enhance the spectacle for fans, and the experience for players.”
Two trials will also take place during the 2025 Championships, with scrum-halves now having more protection at the base of rucks, mauls and scrums.
Additionally, there won’t be any punishment for throws that aren’t straight when the line-out is uncontested.
As was the case in the autumn, the time allowed for conversions and the formation of scrums and line-outs will continue to be reduced.
Referees will also continue to broadcast their explanations for key decisions over the in-stadium PA system in an attempt to increase the spectacle and provide more clarity for fans watching in person and at home.
Action in this year’s Championship begins with Wales’ trip to France on January 31, with Scotland hosting Italy and England travelling to Ireland the following day.
Away from the pitch though, discussions are ongoing about the make-up of the 2026 Six Nations Championship.
BBC Sport have reported that discussions surrounding the broadcast deal for the tournament are ongoing, with the current BBC and ITV deal set to expire this year.
It’s expected the schedule will change, with more evening kick-offs mooted in order to avoid potential clashes with other sporting events.
Alternatively, it’s been suggested the organisers might instead favour a “Super Saturday” approach, where all three matches throughout a weekend are staggered across the same day.
It comes after the three matches with the lowest television audiences during the 2024 edition all came on Sundays.
