WHILE I am not a huge rugby fan, I take a passing interest in the Six Nations, particularly if Ireland are performing well.
Last Saturday, during the Wales v Ireland match, I joined the rest of the family part-way through to check in and see how the boys in wait, what, white (?!) were getting on.
I have to say, being unaware of the reasons behind this kit change, I was a little taken aback, especially as Ireland seemed to be losing.
Thankfully, after a hard-fought game, they managed to turn it around, claiming victory against Wales while also clinching the Triple Crown.
It did cross my mind that perhaps the fact that Ireland were not in their traditional green was somehow affecting their performance.
There has been a huge amount of research on the psychology of kit colour. Some even suggest that wearing red can give teams an ‘edge’ because it is associated with power, energy and aggression, but evidence to support this theory is largely unsubstantiated.
Perhaps it’s just a coincidence that the three teams currently at the top of the Premier League all have red home strips (although, of course, it is much more likely that their success owes more to talent, funding and investment).
More: Bridget Jones left me bawling… but I felt the better for it – Sophie Clarke
Ireland’s James Lowe intercepts the ball before it goes out of play during the Guinness Men’s Six Nations match at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff. Picture date: Saturday February 22, 2025. (David Davies/PA)
As I later found out, the reason Ireland were wearing white was to make the match more accessible for viewers with red/green colour blindness or CVD (colour vision deficiency).
The new guidelines were introduced by World Rugby and implemented in January of this year. Wales, as hosts, were entitled to maintain their usual red strip.
Interestingly colour blindness is much more prevalent in men – around one in 12 compared to one in 200 for women. It also seems that there are quite a few high-profile people who suffer from the condition.
However, it appears that colour blindness is certainly no barrier to success – I was intrigued to learn that amongst those affected were Bill Clinton, Keanu Reeves, Mark Zuckerberg, Mark Twain, Bing Crosby, Robert Redford, Paul Newman and Sting.
Around 4.5% of the world’s population are colour blind. Compare this with, say, being left-handed (as I am), which affects around 10%.
I thought perhaps with CVD it might be a case of ‘what you don’t have, you don’t miss’ – in that if you have never viewed the world in any other way then you have nothing to compare it to and therefore it isn’t really an issue.
However the Colour Blindness Awareness Community Interest Company states that although “approximately 40% of colour blind pupils leave school unaware that they are colour blind, 60% of colour blind people are likely to experience problems every day and yet often not realise the full impact”.
So, in hindsight, this is a relatively straightforward but hugely progressive step by World Rugby and further engages fans by making matches with kit clashes less challenging and more enjoyable for everyone.
The decision will also benefit players as Kathryn Albany-Ward, the founder of Colour Blind Awareness, explains: “If eight per cent of men are affected, then that means that there will be two or three players in every squad who are impacted in some way.”
More: The Belfast Giants are one local team we can all support – Sophie Clarke
Jac Morgan (pictured) scored Wales’ first try (David Davies/PA)
With two rounds still to play, Ireland remain the favourites to win the Grand Slam and are hoping to make history by becoming the first team to win three straight Five/Six Nations titles in a row.
Next weekend Ireland will play their penultimate game at home against France, with the final round against Italy taking place in Rome on March 15 – so the boys are back in green and ready to ‘answer Ireland’s call’ – let’s hope they do!