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.

[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.

[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 😉).

[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.

[mummyhaschangedhername]

*say

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.