Owen Farrell red card: World Rugby appeals against decision to overturn dismissal
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Owen Farrell's high tackle on Wales' Taine Basham was initially punished with a yellow card before being upgraded to a red
World Rugby will appeal against the decision to overturn the red card given to England captain Owen Farrell against Wales.
Farrell's yellow card was upgraded to red by the new 'bunker' review system after a high tackle.
A disciplinary panel reviewing the incident on Tuesday found mitigating factors and overturned the dismissal.
World Rugby said in a statement confirming the appeal that "player welfare is the number one priority".
If World Rugby is successful, Farrell would miss a chunk of England's World Cup pool stage games.
Farrell became the first England player to receive a red card from rugby's new 'bunker' review system after he made a high tackle on Taine Basham during England's 19-17 win over Wales last week.
An independent judicial committee (IJC) then rescinded the 31-year-old's dismissal, clearing him to play a key role for England at the upcoming World Cup.
But now an Independent Appeal Committee will be appointed to determine the matter at the earliest possible opportunity.
The statement said: "World Rugby fully supports the important role that an independent disciplinary process plays in upholding the integrity and values of the sport, particularly regarding foul play involving head contact.
"Player welfare is the sport's number one priority, and the Head Contact Process is central to that mission at the elite level of the sport."
Six Nations Rugby said the hearing would take place "early next week at a time and date to be confirmed".
England face Ireland on Saturday in Dublin and then Fiji on 26 August at Twickenham in two final warm-up matches before their opening World Cup game against Argentina on 9 September in Marseille.
The panel which overturned Farrell's dismissal said the involvement of hooker Jamie George in the tackle caused Basham to change direction.
The original decision to overturn the card met with split opinion, with France defence coach Shaun Edwards believing it was the right decision made, external, but former England fly-half Paul Grayson says Farrell had set himself to make a shot and does not agree George's involvement served as much of a mitigation.
"George is grabbing for Basham and he knows he is beaten," Grayson told Rugby Union Weekly.
"It's Basham's fend which accelerates him away from George but I don't get the 'significant change in dynamic'. I see Owen Farrell set to make a shot."
Former Ireland international Shane Horgan believes the entirely Australian panel may have impacted on the outcome.
"I think the southern hemisphere still lags behind slightly in this area [of player welfare]. I hear it in their commentary and from their coaches and their former players so I do think maybe that contributed to how this was presented, perceived and accepted," Horgan told Rugby Union Weekly.
Farrell was suspended for five games in 2020 and also served a two-match ban in 2016.
In January, the RFU approved a reduction in tackle height for the community game in England in order to improve player safety, with head injuries a major area for concern in recent years.
Before Farrell's red card was overturned, he faced a ban of potentially six games as the mid-range sanction, having received a three-week ban for the same offence in January.
England also face Japan, Chile and Samoa in their World Cup pool.
'There is no guarantee World Rugby will succeed' - analysis
Chris Jones, BBC rugby union correspondent
While World Rugby's intervention will be widely welcomed, there is no guarantee they will be successful.
It's understood World Rugby's case will hinge on whether Farrell's challenge was always "illegal" because of his tucked right arm. If that is the case he wouldn't be entitled to any mitigation, and a red card - and therefore a ban - would be the correct outcome.
However, they need strong enough evidence and a strong enough argument to overturn the panel's original verdict. But even if unsuccessful, the governing body feel they need to send a message supporting their officials as well as the Head Contact Process.
Whatever the outcome, a saga that has dominated the rugby union news for the past few days is set to rumble on.
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