Nigel Owens calls on World Rugby to change ‘nonsense’ disciplinary process and demands ‘firmer action’

Nigel Owens sending off Tomas Lavanini in the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the former Test referee in 2020..
Nigel Owens has urged World Rugby to make changes to their disciplinary process over the fact that mitigation is often applied in acts of foul play.
Any red card or citing will be reviewed by an independent panel and they will decide the punishment – if any – that will be handed down in line with the current World Rugby laws that are in place.
There is a low-end, mid-range or top-end sanction which will go a long way to determining the initial suspension.
However, after that has been decided, mitigation will almost always be applied for admission of guilt, good conduct and a clean disciplinary record.
Tackle school
There is also a?World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme for certain offences which, if completed, will then reduce it by another week.
That means a six-week suspension can become two, something which Owens believes needs to be looked at going forward.
“If someone makes an illegal, dangerous or reckless tackle in a game and they later admit guilt, they have a week or two knocked off their ban. If they then agree to attend tackle school, that’s another week off. It’s nonsense,” he wrote in his WalesOnline column.
“If you know that the offence is worth a six week or 12 week suspension, then I’m sorry, but that’s exactly what the player in question should be getting.
“If they want to change player behaviour, then do that – because knocking off weeks as they currently do doesn’t help the game one bit.”
Nigel Owens weighs in on Mack Hansen controversy as former Test referee hits out at ‘joke’ ban
Owens used the Mack Hansen ban as a recent example. Although the case of the Ireland star was very different, given it referred to his comments about the officiating in Connacht’s defeat to Leinster last month, the Welshman could not understand why three of the six weeks was suspended.
Coincidently, his ban finishes just before the start of the Six Nations and the former Test referee insists that, if something is worth, for example, a 10-week ban then it should be exactly that.
‘Tough luck’
“Quite simply, it’s making a mockery of the game. A player can be back on the field in no time, and there will be a few at the Six Nations who received initial suspensions that would have ruled them out of at least one game at the tournament before they were reduced,” Owens added.
“Playing in the Six Nations is one of the greatest honours a player can have at Test level, but if they commit an offence that carries a lengthy ban just before the tournament, then that is just tough luck.
“It’s something that really bugs me, and I hope we see a firmer stance being taken soon. If you can’t do the time, as they say, then don’t do the crime.”