‘Why was it not a red card?’ – Nigel Owens weighs in on controversial Sam Prendergast incident after ‘green jersey’ bias claims
Sam Prendergast incident which saw him yellow-carded for Ireland and former Test referee Nigel Owens (inset).
Sam Prendergast incident which saw him yellow-carded for Ireland and former Test referee Nigel Owens.
Former Rugby World Cup final referee Nigel Owens has clarified why Sam Prendergast was not given a red card during Ireland’s match against Fiji last weekend.
The fly-half made contact with his shoulder to the head of Fijian flanker Kitione Salawa, resulting in a yellow card and an automatic review by the TMO bunker.
Despite the lack of an attempt to wrap, Prendergast’s punishment stopped at a yellow card, a decision that surprised many, including Fiji’s team.
Fijian frustration
Fiji’s head coach, Mick Byrne, implied that the decision was influenced by bias, joking in his post-match comments: “I think he was wearing a green jersey so it stayed yellow.”
However, in World Rugby’s Whistle Watch segment, Owens broke down the reasoning behind the decision.
The former Test referee began by explaining the process: “Do we have direct contact with the head? Yes, we do, so we have foul play. What we also have here is an illegal action, which is causing the debate over whether it should be a red or yellow.
“Because the actions are illegal—he goes in with his shoulder tucked and no attempt to wrap—mitigation does not apply.
“Does this meet the yellow card threshold? Yes, it does, and it goes to the bunker. The key question is, why wasn’t it a red card?”
Interpreting danger
Owens elaborated that while “mitigation” does not apply, this does not automatically mean a red card. The final decision depends on the officials’ interpretation.
“Can you still issue a yellow card even if there’s no mitigation and the action is always illegal? Yes, you can,” he said.
“It ultimately depends on whether the officials—or even those watching at home—feel the contact was of a high degree of danger.
“If it’s a high degree of danger, it’s unquestionably a red card. However, in this case, the officials felt that while it was illegal and involved head contact, it didn’t reach the level of high danger. That’s why it remained a yellow.”
Owens didn’t explicitly state whether he agreed or disagreed with the officials but confirmed their decision was within the rules.
“It comes down to whether you believe the high degree of danger justified a 20-minute red card. Many of you think it does, and you’re not wrong, while others agree with the officials that it was a low degree of danger, making it a yellow card,” he concluded.