Why a “blood bin” style substitution following yellow cards could change the game of rugby
Carding incidents have been at the fore of most Super Rugby matches in recent weeks, and former Hurricane Norm Hewitt believes they are stifling contests within the game.
Hewitt believes that a new rule should be implemented to mirror the blood bin rule, where infringing players can be subbed off after their 10-minute penalty and another player can come on in their absence.
Such a rule would enable both sides to remain with 15 men throughout the entire match.
The former player believes that this option would give both teams the best opportunity to contest the game, and would inadvertently bring in larger crowds, benefiting both the players and the competition.
“(It’s having) a huge impact. (For) the team that has the advantage while one player is down for 20 minutes, it’s huge,” Hewitt said on SENZ’s Hurricane Valley.
“I think if there is a yellow card, they should swap a player out straight away if they’re due to come back on.
“That would be the suggestion so that we can keep the competition at 15 versus 15, (so sides are) not disadvantaged at 14 or sometimes even at 13.
“Yellow cards today, to me, are a bit like the blood bin. They run off, they get tended to, and then they run back on with a bandage on their head.
“It doesn’t disadvantage the game, they replace the player.
"Same with the yellow card, and I believe we’d get more people there because we’re seeing some even contests going on within the game.”
The Hurricanes suffered two yellow cards in their Round 10 match against the Reds, where they fought back to win 30-17, after heading into the halftime break down 17-0.
Their Round 11 clash will see them take on the Brumbies on Sunday at 4:00pm NZT, at GIO Stadium.
Hurricanes team to take on the Brumbies:
- Pouri Rakete-Stones
- James O’Reilly
- Tyrel Lomax
- James Blackwell
- Justin Sangster
- Te Kamaka (TK) Howden
- Blake Gibson
- Ardie Savea (c)
- TJ Perenara
- Jackson Garden-Bachop
- Salesi Rayasi
- Peter Umaga-Jensen
- Bailyn Sullivan
- Julian Savea
- Jordie Barrett
- Kianu Kereru-Symes
- Xavier Numia
- Tevita Mafileo
- Isaia Walker-Leawere
- Caleb Delany
- Jamie Booth
- Aidan Morgan
- Billy Proctor