List of Rugby World Cup red cards
Encyclopedia
A total of 16 red cards
have been issued during Rugby World Cup
tournaments since the first in 1987. Discipline at the 2003 event could be said to be the best out of all seven tournaments to date, at least in terms of red cards, as none were issued. Nine different countries have seen at least one of their players dismissed, with Tonga
and Canada
both having lost three members of their team. The position
with the most red cards is flanker
, with five such players leaving the field. Two team captains have been dismissed by the referee. While the rules allow for players to be dismissed after receiving two yellow cards, all dismissals to date have been straight red cards.
lock Huw Richards
in the inaugural Rugby World Cup
. Richards punched New Zealand lock Gary Whetton
and received a one week suspension for his actions. He therefore missed the final match of the team's World Cup – the third place playoff against Australia
. In that match Australian flanker
David Codey
was sent off in the fifth minute, the quickest dismissal in any Rugby World Cup. Warned after only one minute, Codey again trampled on a Welsh player in a ruck and was told to leave the field. The game continued and Australia lost by a point.
The 1991 Rugby World Cup
saw two locks from opposing teams shown the red card. Highly regarded Argentine
Pedro Sporleder
, who would go on to compete in the next three tournaments, fought with Samoan
Matt Keenan and both were sent from the field.
Four players were sent off during the 1995 Rugby World Cup
with three of them being dismissed in one incident. Electrical problems at the Boet Erasmus Stadium in Port Elizabeth caused the South Africa
–Canada match to be postponed by 45 minutes, adding to the tension of the last, decisive Pool A game. With 10 minutes left the South Africans were leading 20–0 when a challenge by Pieter Hendriks on Canadian Winston Stanley
sparked a fight between the two teams. Fullback Scott Stewart charged into Hendriks and was joined by Springbok hooker James Dalton
and several others. Referee David McHugh chose to send off Dalton as well as Canadians Rod Snow
and Gareth Rees, the captain. Investigations after the match led to Hendriks and Stewart being suspended. One week earlier Tongan flanker Feleti Mahoni was caught stamping on the head of Frenchman Phillippe Benetton during a ruck, resulting in an immediate dismissal and a lengthy ban. Until that point Tonga had been making impressive progress against a French team that had been tipped to win the tournament.
The 1999 Rugby World Cup
also saw four players dismissed but this time in four different matches and from four different teams. The first red card went to Marika Vunibaka
who had scored a try and in doing so became the only player to have been sent off after scoring points. Dismissed in injury time at the end of the second half, the Fijian was adjudged to have head-butted a Canadian player. Canadian flanker Dan Baugh was sent off for stamping on a Namibian player and subsequently received a four-week ban. Ngalu Taufo'ou was sanctioned in the same way after running ten metres to punch England flanker Richard Hill
. On the same day Brendan Venter
was sent off for stamping on Uruguayan Martin Panizza.
Unique amongst the seven tournaments, no players were sent off during the 48 games of the 2003 Rugby World Cup
.
Two players were shown red cards for two different teams at the 2007 Rugby World Cup
, both on the same day. Tongan Hale T-Pole
was dismissed in the final ten minutes of the match against Samoa when he elbowed substitute Leo Lafaiali'i
in the face. He had received several warnings from the referee prior to the incident. Namibian
Jacques Nieuwenhuis
received his red card after a dangerous tackle on Frenchman Sébastien Chabal
. The resultant enquiry decided that Nieuwenhuis had recklessly but not intentionally tackled Chabal around the head and gave him a one match ban.
Two players were sent off during the 2011 Rugby World Cup
. Samoa's Paul Williams was reprimanded for striking a South African player but escaped a ban when it was deemed that his actions were not heavy, had no adverse effect on the game, and that there were "compelling on-field and/or off-field aggravating features". Wales captain Sam Warburton
was sent off in the semi-final against France because he did not safely return a player to the floor after a tackle. The decision was controversial with several commentators believing that it should only be a yellow card because Warburton did not drive the player into the ground. Austin Healey
was only of several current and former players who criticised the dismissal on Twitter
, calling it a "most ridiculous decision". However, the red card was upheld after the match and Warburton was given a three week ban. Warburton became only the second player to be dismissed in a semi-final, the latest stage towards the final that any player has received a red card. Coincidentally, the other player, Huw Richards, was also representing Wales.
Penalty card
A penalty card is used in many sports as a means of warning, reprimanding or penalising a player, coach or team official. Penalty cards are most commonly used by referees or umpires to indicate that a player has committed an offense. The referee will hold the card above his or her head while...
have been issued during Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
tournaments since the first in 1987. Discipline at the 2003 event could be said to be the best out of all seven tournaments to date, at least in terms of red cards, as none were issued. Nine different countries have seen at least one of their players dismissed, with Tonga
Tonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
and Canada
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
both having lost three members of their team. The position
Rugby union positions
In the game rugby union, there are fifteen players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs . Depending upon the competition, there may be up to eight replacement players. Early games consisted primarily of forwards that attacked plus a handful of "tends" that played back in defence...
with the most red cards is flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
, with five such players leaving the field. Two team captains have been dismissed by the referee. While the rules allow for players to be dismissed after receiving two yellow cards, all dismissals to date have been straight red cards.
Details
The first player to receive a red card was WelshWales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
lock Huw Richards
Huw Richards
Huw David Richards is a former Welsh and Neath RFC rugby union player. He played in the 1987 Rugby World Cup as a lock and became the first player to receive a red card in a Rugby World Cup tournament.-Biography:...
in the inaugural Rugby World Cup
1987 Rugby World Cup
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
. Richards punched New Zealand lock Gary Whetton
Gary Whetton
Gary William Whetton is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. He played 180 matches for Auckland, and 58 tests at lock for the All Blacks from 1981 to 1991. He currently serves on the Auckland Blues board....
and received a one week suspension for his actions. He therefore missed the final match of the team's World Cup – the third place playoff against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
. In that match Australian flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
David Codey
David Codey
David Codey is an Australian former state and national representative rugby union player who made 13 Test match appearances for Wallabies between 1983 and 1987. He captained the national side on a single occasion in 1987....
was sent off in the fifth minute, the quickest dismissal in any Rugby World Cup. Warned after only one minute, Codey again trampled on a Welsh player in a ruck and was told to leave the field. The game continued and Australia lost by a point.
The 1991 Rugby World Cup
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
saw two locks from opposing teams shown the red card. Highly regarded Argentine
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
Pedro Sporleder
Pedro Sporleder
Pedro Luis Sporleder is a former rugby union footballer and currently businessman from Argentina.He played for the Argentina national rugby union team on 77 occasions, scoring 12 tries....
, who would go on to compete in the next three tournaments, fought with Samoan
Samoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
Matt Keenan and both were sent from the field.
Four players were sent off during the 1995 Rugby World Cup
1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
with three of them being dismissed in one incident. Electrical problems at the Boet Erasmus Stadium in Port Elizabeth caused the South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
–Canada match to be postponed by 45 minutes, adding to the tension of the last, decisive Pool A game. With 10 minutes left the South Africans were leading 20–0 when a challenge by Pieter Hendriks on Canadian Winston Stanley
Winston Stanley
Winston Ulysses Stanley is a Canadian rugby union footballer. He played wing for University of British Columbia, in Canada, later moving to English club Leicester Tigers....
sparked a fight between the two teams. Fullback Scott Stewart charged into Hendriks and was joined by Springbok hooker James Dalton
James Dalton (rugby player)
James Dalton, born 16 August 1972 in Johannesburg, is a South African rugby union player, who played for the South Africa national rugby union team. He played as a hooker . He was educated at Parktown Boys' High School and Matriculated at Jeppe High School for Boys in Johannesburg, South...
and several others. Referee David McHugh chose to send off Dalton as well as Canadians Rod Snow
Rod Snow
Gerald Arthur Rod Snow is a Canadian former professional rugby union prop.Snow began his senior club rugby with the Newfoundland amateur club team Dogs RFC. He went on to play professionally in South Africa for Eastern Province in 1995, before joining Newport RFC in 1996, the club he remained...
and Gareth Rees, the captain. Investigations after the match led to Hendriks and Stewart being suspended. One week earlier Tongan flanker Feleti Mahoni was caught stamping on the head of Frenchman Phillippe Benetton during a ruck, resulting in an immediate dismissal and a lengthy ban. Until that point Tonga had been making impressive progress against a French team that had been tipped to win the tournament.
The 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
also saw four players dismissed but this time in four different matches and from four different teams. The first red card went to Marika Vunibaka
Marika Vunibaka
Marika "Dawainavesi" Vunibaka is a Fijian rugby union footballer. He has represented the national team on numerous occasions, including at the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales and the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia....
who had scored a try and in doing so became the only player to have been sent off after scoring points. Dismissed in injury time at the end of the second half, the Fijian was adjudged to have head-butted a Canadian player. Canadian flanker Dan Baugh was sent off for stamping on a Namibian player and subsequently received a four-week ban. Ngalu Taufo'ou was sanctioned in the same way after running ten metres to punch England flanker Richard Hill
Richard Hill (flanker)
Richard Hill MBE is a former rugby union footballer who played flanker for Saracens and England.Often portrayed as the 'silent assassin' at both club and international level, his effective and abrasive style of forward play has made him legendary in rugby union circles...
. On the same day Brendan Venter
Brendan Venter
Brendan Venter is a former rugby union player who played at centre and also coached for London Irish. He is currently director of rugby at Saracens...
was sent off for stamping on Uruguayan Martin Panizza.
Unique amongst the seven tournaments, no players were sent off during the 48 games of the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
.
Two players were shown red cards for two different teams at the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
, both on the same day. Tongan Hale T-Pole
Hale T-Pole
Tevita Hale Nai Tu'uhoko, often known simply as Hale T-Pole or Hale T Pole, is a Tongan rugby union footballer who plays as a flanker or number eight for the Ricoh Black Rams in the Top League in Japan...
was dismissed in the final ten minutes of the match against Samoa when he elbowed substitute Leo Lafaiali'i
Leo Lafaiali'i
Leo Lafaiali'i is a Samoan rugby union footballer.Leo Lafaiali'i made his debut for Samoa in 2001 against Tonga, going on to play in Test matches against Fiji, New Zealand, and Tonga later on in the year...
in the face. He had received several warnings from the referee prior to the incident. Namibian
Namibia national rugby union team
The Namibian rugby union team, nicknamed the Welwitschias or Biltongboere, represents Namibia at rugby union. Although they are a tier-three nation in the International Rugby Board tier system, the team have participated in all three Rugby World Cup competitions since their first appearance in 1999...
Jacques Nieuwenhuis
Jacques Nieuwenhuis
Jacques Nieuwenhuis is a Namibian rugby union player. Nieuwenhuis was in the Namibian squad for the 2007 World Cup, and scored a try in his nation's first match in the competition, in a game against .He later blotted his copybook by being the first Namibian to be sent off at a world cup against...
received his red card after a dangerous tackle on Frenchman Sébastien Chabal
Sebastien Chabal
Sébastien Chabal, born 8 December 1977 in Valence, Drôme, is a French rugby union rugby player. He has played number eight and lock professionally for the French team Bourgoin ; the English team Sale Sharks ; the French team Racing Métro 92 Paris ; and the French national side. He earned his first...
. The resultant enquiry decided that Nieuwenhuis had recklessly but not intentionally tackled Chabal around the head and gave him a one match ban.
Two players were sent off during the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
. Samoa's Paul Williams was reprimanded for striking a South African player but escaped a ban when it was deemed that his actions were not heavy, had no adverse effect on the game, and that there were "compelling on-field and/or off-field aggravating features". Wales captain Sam Warburton
Sam Warburton
Sam Kennedy-Warburton , commonly known as Sam Warburton, is a Welsh rugby union player. Warburton plays regional rugby for the Cardiff Blues and was first capped for Wales in 2009...
was sent off in the semi-final against France because he did not safely return a player to the floor after a tackle. The decision was controversial with several commentators believing that it should only be a yellow card because Warburton did not drive the player into the ground. Austin Healey
Austin Healey
Austin Sean Healey is a former English rugby union player, who played as a utility back for Leicester Tigers, and has represented the England national rugby union team and the British Lions....
was only of several current and former players who criticised the dismissal on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, calling it a "most ridiculous decision". However, the red card was upheld after the match and Warburton was given a three week ban. Warburton became only the second player to be dismissed in a semi-final, the latest stage towards the final that any player has received a red card. Coincidentally, the other player, Huw Richards, was also representing Wales.
Players
| # | Player | Position | Representing | Final Score | Opponent | Tournament | Time | Date | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lock | 6–49 | 1987 1987 Rugby World Cup The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two... (semi-final) |
77' | |||||
| 2 | Flanker Flanker (rugby union) A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards... |
21–22 | 1987 1987 Rugby World Cup The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two... (bronze final) |
5' | |||||
| 3 | Lock | 12–35 | 1991 1991 Rugby World Cup The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the... |
?' | |||||
| 4 | Lock | 23 35–12 | 1991 1991 Rugby World Cup The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the... |
?' | |||||
| 5 | Flanker Flanker (rugby union) A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards... |
10–38 | 1995 1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.... |
68' | |||||
| 6 | Fly-half (captain) | 0–20 | 1995 1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.... |
70' | |||||
| 7 | Prop | 0–20 | 1995 1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.... |
70' | |||||
| 8 | Hooker | 20 20–0 | 1995 1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.... |
70' | |||||
| 9 | Wing | 16 38–22 | 1999 1999 Rugby World Cup The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland... |
80'+ | |||||
| 10 | Flanker Flanker (rugby union) A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards... |
61 72–11 | 1999 1999 Rugby World Cup The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland... |
48' | |||||
| 11 | Prop | 10–101 | 1999 1999 Rugby World Cup The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland... |
35' | |||||
| 12 | Centre | 36 39–3 | 1999 1999 Rugby World Cup The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland... |
40' | |||||
| 13 | Flanker Flanker (rugby union) A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards... |
4 19–15 | 2007 2007 Rugby World Cup The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,... |
71' | |||||
| 14 | Number 8 | 10–87 | 2007 2007 Rugby World Cup The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,... |
19' | |||||
| 15 | Fullback | 5–13 | 2011 2011 Rugby World Cup The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005... |
70' | |||||
| 16 | Flanker Flanker (rugby union) A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards... (captain) |
8–9 | 2011 2011 Rugby World Cup The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005... (semi-final) |
17' |
Teams
Key| Team | 1987 | 1991 | 1995 | 1999 | 2003 | 2007 | 2011 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | |||||||
| 1 | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||
| 0 | ||||||||
| – | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| 0 | ||||||||
| – | – | – | – | 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||||||
| 0 | ||||||||
| – | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | ||
| 0 | ||||||||
| – | – | – | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 0 | ||||||||
| – | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | ||
| 0 | ||||||||
| – | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | ||
| – | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||
| 0 | ||||||||
| – | – | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| – | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | ||
| – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| – | 0 | |||||||
| – | – | – | – | – | 0 | |||
| 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| – | – | – | – | – | 0 | |||
| Total | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 16 |