•The final year optometry student at the Kakamega town based university is currently doing research on rugby eyewear.
•“Little or nothing is being done towards player eye protection in Kenya,” —Mbeche
Masinde Murilo University of Science and Technology (MMUST) rugby captain Samuel Mbeche says players should embrace eye-wear.
The final year optometry student at the Kakamega town-based university is currently doing research on rugby eyewear.
“Little or nothing is being done towards player eye protection in Kenya currently. Because of my love for rugby, I decided to do research on eye protection,” said the centre player, who is currently recovering from knee injury.
Mbeche has already acquired a pair of rugby goggles from Italy's Raleri eyewear company, the only company approved by World Rugby to produce the goggles.
“This is probably the first in the country and among the first in Africa. So I'm trying to create awareness about this eyewear and probably get it considered by the players,” noted Mbeche.
He added: “The goggles protect players from injuries related to the eye and cushions head contacts and has been found to prevent some concussions especially those caused by frontal head contact. The goggles protect both the wearer and the player coming into contact with him”
He said the goggles will also come in handy for those who have refractive errors and get hard time playing. “This eyewear can accommodate a prescription insert to enable them get clear vision while in play,” he added.
In 2019, World Rugby amended the laws of the game to enable wearing of goggles at all levels of the game. Italy international Ian McKinley was the first to wear goggles in a senior international game.
World Rugby chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont said: “The approval of this law amendment is a very significant advancement for rugby and for contact sport, and as someone who championed the project from its inception, I am delighted to see goggles become enshrined within our laws."
“This is a strong demonstration of WR’s commitment to game innovation and player welfare, but also our mission to make rugby a more accessible and inclusive sport at all levels,”