A World First Event for Rugby - A Test for visually-impaired players
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Source: Seven Sharp, TVNZ
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Blind Rugby was developed in the UK by The Change Foundation, in a bid to make the sport accessible to the vision-impaired. Based on touch rugby, the new sport also includes more typical rugby fare including scrums, lineouts and conversions. In another world first the sport also uses portable inflatable goal-posts made by Kiwi company Packaworld International.
Michael Holland from TVNZ1's Seven Sharp found out the inflatable posts are a very comforting addition for the vision-impaired players, with one person at the ground giving a player some sound advice. "Don't worry if you do happen to run into the posts, they will collapse and fall with grace." Even though our boys in black went down to the Blind Lions 31-0, the game was still a huge success and bodes well for the future of the sport. As Dan Shepherd from Blind Sport New Zealand summed it up, "it's a big day for rugby, big day for blind and low vision sport." |
