Almost half of the white card referrals in this year’s Varsity Cup have been successful.

White cards, which allow teams to challenge the referee during a break in play if they feel a wrong call has been made, can be used twice in a match by each team, once in each half. The success rate thus far has been 41%.

Of the successful white cards used so far in the Varsity Cup, 57% have overturned a foul play decision, meaning that dangerous and early tackles are being clamped down on thanks to the use of technology.

The white card, which was first used during the inaugural season in 2008, made a comeback this year and is endorsed by Saru.

One downside of the white card is the time it takes out of the game, which can disrupt the flow of the game, but it’s something that should get better the more the system is used.

The average time it’s taken this season for a referral to be made is a minute and 57 seconds for white card decisions, compared to the one minute 29 seconds for referee referrals. It is, however, important to consider the nature of decisions being referred, with a large number relating to foul play, it’s natural that these decisions will take longer.

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