What happens if you wear glasses and have to do rugby?

[Neolara]

My ds has just started secondary and will be doing rugby in pe this term. He is very short sighted (-4 in both eyes) and is never without his glasses. His pe teacher has suggested he gets special sports goggles or contact lenses for rugby. But goggles seem to cost £100+ and it seems nuts to to start using contacts with all the associated costs and hassle for 2 hours a week for one term. So presumably he will just have to play without his glasses which will be totally pointless because he won't be able to see anything. Is this normal? Or would schools ever try and make alternative arrangements? Ds is actually quite coordinated and enjoys sports like tennis, swimming and running, so it's genuinely not about trying to get out of sport.

[roundaboutthetown]

I'd jump at the chance to get your child out of having to do rugby - from what you say about him, I suspect he'd be delighted. It's not as if rugby is only unnecessarily risky for people who wear glasses. I don't think it should be compulsory for anyone to do rugby. Is it a really small school, or can he not, eg, do indoor pe twice a week this term, instead? I know they do that at my dss' school for children who can't do rugby, as there is always a parallel lesson going on at the same time for the same year group, one indoor and one outdoor.

[whatatod0]

Hi OP.
My son is +3.75 but with a high astigmatism so contact lenses aren't an option for him.
He's worn sports goggles since he was around 9yrs.
He was not allowed to be in a scrum wearing goggles (fine by me) so he was always put out on the wing. He also wears them for football and squash.
You have to buy approved goggles if he'll play in certain leagues (football).
I know they don't look great, but ds has never had any bother from people. It's just a matter of either wearing them, or not playing.
We buy ours from the local optician. He's been very good and not lost them. He's only on his second pair now and he's 16!!
We tried swimming goggles but found he could manage without prescription ones.

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

My very sporty son (y8) has had daily contacts for sport since y6. Before that he had goggles for football (and still has goggles for swimming).

So far it has worked out fine, no problems. The only issue now is that he does so much sport he wears contacts most days.

[ifiwasabutterfly]

DS has leader sports goggles (different to swim goggles) they are about £100 a pair and good for any contact/ball sports. He wears them for cricket and football too

[mummyhaschangedhername]

*say

[mummyhaschangedhername]

Just try contacts. Dailies are really easy and fairly cheap particularly if only using once a week. There is no associated hassle. No drops or extras, just the lenses. As long as he washes his hands before he should be fine. If that doesn't work then pull him out, but at least you can say gah tried.

[sydenhamhiller]

DS is in y10 now, and has to play rugby at his school. We got him contact lenses when he started secondary for this reason (and the other sports). They are dailies, and last us for aaaaaaaages, as he only wears them one or 2 days a week.

He doesn’t really like contact lenses, but wears them to school on rugby days, and if they bother him, takes them out straight afterwards and puts on his glasses (no vanity has kicked in yet 😉).

[SoupDragon]

Having watched DSs play rugby, I wouldn’t want them wearing goggles for contact rugby no matter what the guidelines are!

I would go with contact lenses if your DS wants to try them. I can’t see how they can force him though.

[BirdyBedtime]

DS is +7 in both eyes. He wears sports goggles for hockey, badminton and basketball. We bought them from Amazon for £15 (Panlees) but the lenses were around £70 due to his prescription. He so much more confident and gets stuck in now.

He did play rugby a few years ago and the club bought the 'allowed' ones from Italy - they have inserts so more than one child could use them (although not at the same time obvs). They are very good but I think there should be more flexibility.

[sproutsandparsnips]

You can get made to measure mouth guards for around £30 and they will last but only any good once teeth are established and no movement. I'd second contacts as you only need to buy a few pairs - they are expensive - maybe he'll want to wear them at other times too....

[Roomba]

I'm going off on a tangent here, but this is another example of the many hidden costs of secondary school. DS's school is Rugby mad, it is compulsory for all, no excuses, or don't bother applying is the general impression given out. DS has to have a mouthguard and they 'strongly recommend' the made to measure ones which are £££. A company come in and fits everyone for them and you have to state if you are just going to use a boil and bite one like DS (still a cost), making you feel like a poor outcast if you don't do what everyone else does. Sorry for ranting...

I would go for contacts, OP, but your son may try them and not like them. Worth a try first though! If I paid £300 for goggles, DS would lose them within a week (dyspraxia/ADD).

[Anasnake]

I'm -7 I'd struggle to find my way out of the changing room without contacts.

[whiteroseredrose]

Do you need contacts or glasses for swimming??? Surely everyone can see a big wall approaching!


People are suggesting contacts for ease. But some of us can't put our fingers in our eyes so it's far from easy.

[Anasnake]

What does he do when he's swimming?

[ZeroThirty]

DS wears contacts. He's in a football academy. No issues

[squiggletea]

Another vote for contacts. Our local club wouldn’t let DS play with goggles (although reading other posts, I think that’s an ott reaction!)

DS has worn them since age 10 and took them on residential too! I know other children of 7 who have worn them for rugby too. Expensive but cheaper and nicer than goggles for us)

[Neolara]

Thanks again for your thoughts everyone. Numbkinuts - very useful link. Thanks.

I wore contacts for decades but now only wear glasses because I found lenses uncomfortable and expensive (weird prescription). Maybe it would be different for ds. He just seems a bit young for contacts - he's lonly 11. I'd think I'd be prepared to invest in rugby goggles if I thought he'd be interested in rugby long term, but he's always loathed football and is not really a joiner in-er in general so I really can't imagine him suddenly becoming a rugby fanatic.

Anyway, I've emailed the head of pe setting out the issue and asked what the options might be.

[RedAndGreenPlaid]

My DS is +9 each eye, and he has goggles for sport, they were about £300.
His swimming prescription goggles were £30 by way of comparison. The rugby/hockey ones are specially toughened, and designed for sports.
He wears them for all sorts- all kinds of sports, go karting, drumming, anything really where he'll be moving his head around and there's a risk of his specs flying off. They've lasted really well (thank goodness, because I was really worried about the cost initially, but cost per use has been small now)

[Michaelahpurple]

I got my year 7 contacts when he had a term of rugby looming. He was appalled by what the goggles looked like.

[llangennith]

We had the same problem with our DS 32 years ago when he was 11. He started wearing contact lenses (no daily disposables on those days) and quickly learned to be very careful with washing his hands etc. They transformed his life. He still wears glasses occasionally.
Don't bother with goggles.

[crazycatgal]

Some people just don't get on with contact lenses, your DS can try if he wants to but shouldn't feel pressured.

I'd personally ask for him to be switched groups.

[mintich]

Get some dailies! No hassle at all

[Sadik]

Very sympathetic on the rugby and would suggest speaking to school and asking for him to be switched into another group just for that term/half term.

But, longer term I do think it's worth considering daily disposable contact lenses for sport more generally if he enjoys tennis etc. My dd is also very short sighted, and having daily disposables that she can wear for sports has made a big difference to her in terms of comfort and confidence.

It doesn't cost that much because she only wears them a couple of times a week - and also the optician said fine to go with the cheapest option because she never keeps them in all day, just puts them in before training.

[alwaysontimeneverlate]

I had to pay over £400 for prescriptions swimming goggles as dd has a complex prescription. Worth every penny. I'd go for the sports glasses/goggles they'll last him for years even if he has a change to prescription they'll do for the length of time they are worn

[lackingimagination]

What are the associated hassle and costs with wearing contact lenses??? In my experience there are very little. A trip to the optician and a purchase of one month supply of dailies for around £15 which would last him ages if only wearing for rugby sessions. Also will come in handy for many other activities. Unusual to come across a glasses wearer that doesn’t turn to contacts every now and again unless they physically can’t wear them.