New Zealand Herald columnist Gregor Paul says rugby’s disciplinary system is failing the sport by punishing unavoidable collisions.
Ireland lock Tadhg Beirne was sent off in the third minute of their 26-13 defeat to the All Blacks in Chicago on Saturday after a head clash with New Zealand flyhalf Beauden Barrett.
French referee Pierre Brousset initially showed yellow before the sanction was upgraded to red upon review – a decision that has reignited debate about the game’s head-contact framework.
Paul argued that the decision exposed the “technocratic” nature of modern officiating, where bureaucracy takes precedence over common sense.
“Those who believe that the referee and review officer were correct are making the arguments of technocrats,” he wrote in a New Zealand Herald column. “Rugby doesn’t need any more from the pen-pushers who think paperwork matters more than the game maintaining its physical essence.”
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He said the red card robbed fans of a proper contest in a game designed to promote rugby in the USA ahead of the 2031 World Cup.
“Rugby just can’t feel good about itself when a player of Beirne’s calibre is sent off in a fixture meant to showcase the sport,” Paul added. “Beirne was not a willing participant in the collision … he was doing everything he could to avoid contact with Barrett’s head.”
Paul applauded Barrett for showing empathy after the game, quoting the flyhalf’s view that Beirne did nothing malicious.
“He didn’t intentionally try to put a high shot on; it just happened,” Barrett said. “I know he may be punished for it but I’ll support him so it will be mitigated.”
Beauden Barrett didn’t think it was a red and has offered to help Tadgh Beirne get off any suspension
— Jamie Wall (@JamieWall2) November 2, 2025
Paul welcomed the global trial allowing teams to replace a red-carded player after 20 minutes, which “at least ensured the contest retained its integrity”.
However, he warned that inconsistencies remain “nonsensical and damaging”, citing how Springbok captain Siya Kolisi escaped with only a yellow card for a similar collision in the 2023 World Cup final.
“That’s what maddens fans and upsets players,” he wrote. “It’s one ruling today and another tomorrow.”
Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile/Getty Images
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