Rugby: What is the game doing to help colour blind fans?

Some rugby fans find it difficult to tell the difference between red and green kits worn by players - like when Ireland take on Wales

The world of rugby could soon be seeing some big changes when it comes to the shirts that players wear.

World Rugby, which is the world governing body for the sport, is set to introduce new rules preventing teams from wearing red and green kits in the same match.

It's all in a bid to help the sport's colour blind fans, as well as rugby players who also have the condition.

Colour blindness affects around one in 12 males. Red-green colour blindness, which is when people struggle to tell the difference between reds, greens, browns and oranges, is the most common.

The condition is a lot less common among women and girls, with approximately one in 200 females worldwide affected.

With the support of the non-profit group Colour Blind Awareness, World Rugby is looking at how it can make the sport more accessible for fans.

One of the measures it hopes to introduce to achieve this is by banning a team wearing green from playing a team wearing red during the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

It means if Ireland were to play Wales, for example, one of the two teams would have to wear a different colour.

What is colour blindness?

In our eyes we have colour detecting nerve cells called cones. These are sensitive to red, green or blue light. People who are colour blind either don't have some, or all, of these cells, or they may not work properly.

The majority of people with colour vision problems have something called red-green colour blindness. They may find at difficult to tell the difference between reds, greens, browns and oranges. They may also mix up blues and purples.

Others may have something known as blue-yellow colour blindness, although this is a lot less common. This can make it difficult for them to tell the difference between blue and yellow, violet and red, and blue and green. Colours may also appear more dull.

Achromatopsia is extremely rare. A person with the condition isn't able to see any colour at all. Instead, everything they see appears in shades of grey which range from black to white.

Colour blind children may struggle in the classroom

Colour blindness can affect people in lots of different ways. For example, children may struggle in class if they can't tell different coloured pens or pencils apart.

Sport is another area which colour blind people may find it difficult to navigate. They may find it tough telling the difference between teams if their kits clash with one another, or they may struggle to see equipment like coloured cones or balls against the green grass.

What's being done in other sports?

The FA published guidance on colour blindness in 2017 to help raise awareness about the condition

The FA, which is the governing body for football in England, published guidance on colour blindness in 2017 to help raise awareness about the condition in the world of football.

It explains what colour blindness is, who it affects and also what some of the main issues in football are when it comes to the condition. This includes:

• Kit clashes with other players, goalkeepers and match officials

• Difficulty identifying equipment including balls, training cones and bibs, as well as line markings

• Problems with facilities at sports grounds, signs and lighting

• Issues with TV coverage like graphics that are difficult to read/follow and long-distance camera angles

The guidance also has suggestions on what steps can be taken to make football more accessible for those with colour blindness, although no official rules have been introduced.

Teams taking part in Serie A have been banned from wearing green kits

Serie A, which is the top league in Italy, introduced a ban on green kits earlier this year. The organisers claim the colour of the kits clash with the pitch which could makes games more difficult to watch for some viewers.

However, some players and fans say the bigger issue is clashes between different teams' kits as opposed to the pitch itself.

What do you think of the new rules? Does more need to be done in sport to help people with colour blindness?