Protective Glasses/Goggles

CeebzB

Hi there,

I was just wondering. My child has just had and eye operation and they have told him he can never play rugby again incase it damages his eye. He is livid as rugby is his life! SO.... I have been looking around to see if there is another way and have seen some protective glasses. Could anyone tell me some good websites and manufactures? It would be a real help.

Thanks a Million!

shaungil

We have number of kids playing with goggles at a mini level and have seen a good number of them playing up to under 12 level. I can ask the Mum where she got them as her son has serious vision issues and has been informed that current technology would not allow him to get laser surgery which of course he could not do until he was an adult anyway.

However regulations this year regarding goggles have changed and there are currently no approved goggles and in theory no players at any age should be playing wearing goggles as per IRB regulations. In practice this has been ignored and kids are allowed to play. From what I hear the IRB are looking in to approving goggles but there are none so far. I guess contacts can be used as kids are older.

P_1

I'd run the goggles idea past the doctors too.

They might be able to reccomend something for him

locum-motion

There's a law in the section about players attire that states that, other than studs, a player may not wear anything that has a density greater than a certain figure. The figure of 40kg per cubic metre comes to mind, but I'm not sure if that's actually it. Basically, that rules out hard plastics, which I imagine the frames and maybe lenses of goggles would be made from.

locum-motion

Just looked it up; it's 45kg per cubic metre.

Law 4/Regulation 12, Schedule 1, Section 4(g):

Banned items of clothing
(g) A player must not wear any item of which any part is thicker than 0.5cm when uncompressed or is denser than 45 kilograms per cubic metre unless specified within this Regulation 12/Law 4. Where this overall thickness consists of padded material covered by fabric, 0.5 cm is the maximum measured thickness for the combination of the uncompressed padding and the fabric. The fabric can contribute up to a maximum measured thickness of 1 mm on each side of the padding.

daveharnett

locum-motion wrote: »

There's a law in the section about players attire that states that, other than studs, a player may not wear anything that has a density greater than a certain figure. The figure of 40kg per cubic metre comes to mind, but I'm not sure if that's actually it.

45kg. Not bad at all off the top of your head!
The regulation is here:
http://www.irb.com/mm/document/lawsregs/0/060924gfirbregulation12_879.pdf

The short answer is that no goggles will be legal atm. That's not to say that people won't apply common sense if they're safe.

blackeyedpeat

your consultant has advised against your son returning to rugby for a reason. You have not posted deatil of his initial injury or his age.

Goggles may protect from surface or corneal injuries. They may even protectagainst a blow out fracture. They won't protect against impact injuries like a detachment.

I have seen a footballer give up on his consultants advice following a detachment only for his second eye to detachment during a work five a side three years later. He has since stopped driving and closed his business as a result. I don't wish to scaremonger but someone has to be the statistical chance.

the product you are looking is a T Zone goggle by Leader or Recspecs. There are others out there. The IRFU have told clubs no to allow this type of eyewear on the field so clubs and referee's are actually stopping children from taking the field. On account of them being a danger to other players.

Talk to your son about becoming involved in other aspect of the game coaching, refereing even TAG. The clubs are full of ex players whose careers were ended early through injury. It doesn't stop them enjoying the game.

justsomebloke

OP this is something for you need to be discussing with professionals and not people on the net. Run the glasses idea past them. So closing this off