David Parfett debuts for England’s visually impaired rugby team at Alex Bassan cup
On Saturday 23 November, Sight Loss Councils Coordinator David Parfett debuted for England’s visually impaired (VI) rugby team at the Alex Bassan Cup. The match took place at Sutton and Epsom Rugby Club in South West London.
David discovered the sport through a Sight Loss Council volunteer, who invited him to a taster session in Manchester. Nine months later, David was representing England on the international stage.
Several Sight Loss Councils run multi-sport taster events in key regions across the country. The aim is to raise awareness of accessible sports and leisure activities locally, and encourage more people to get active. The events also aim to improve physical and mental wellbeing and illustrate how just small changes can make sports accessible for everyone to take part.
The international Alex Bassan Cup tournament featured teams from Ireland and Japan. After a series of group games, semi-finals, and a thrilling 2-0 final, England emerged victorious over Japan.
How blind and partially sighted people play visually impaired rugby
VI rugby, developed by The Change Foundation, is a seven-a-side touch version of rugby, which uses a pitch approximately three-quarters the size of a standard rugby field. Games consist of two ten-minute halves and use a yellow rugby ball with ball bearings inside to make it audible.
A player makes a tackle with a one-handed touch. After a tackle, the player places the ball between their legs, and the team loses possession if they don’t score after six tackles. Defenders must retreat five metres after a tackle before they can make another. Scrums and lineouts are uncontested.
David Parfett, SLC Coordinator for the North West, explained:
“It was an honour to be called up, and I’m grateful to the sport for helping me to better understand my visual impairment. It has given me the chance to meet others with the same condition (Congenital Nystagmus). The sport has boosted my fitness by getting me more active. I enjoy that VI rugby is short in duration but high in pace and intensity – there’s little waiting around, so you have to stay alert.
“Playing the sport has not only improved my fitness but also my mental health, thanks to the sense of community and belonging. While we were there to compete, it was also a great chance to socialise and share our experiences with sight loss. To me, VI rugby is more than just a sport – it’s a support network and a place to both give and receive advice while staying active.”
David wearing his England rugby kit holding an England flag
For David, this is not the first time he has played visually impaired sports internationally this year. In September, he was a part of the Great Britain (GB) Blind Baseball team which came fourth at the Blind Baseball World Cup. This was supported by Thomas Pocklington Trust through its grants programme.
How are visually impaired (VI) sports classified?
Authorities have designed the classification system for blind and partially sighted (BPS) athletes to ensure fair competition. The categories range from B1 (totally blind) to B5 (visual acuity better than 6/24 but not better than 6/18. In other words, they can see at 6 metres what a fully sighted person would see at 18 metres).
Only athletes from the B1, B2 and B3 categories are currently only allowed to compete in paralympic sports, leaving out athletes from the B4 and B5 categories who want to compete at the highest level in the nine VI paralympic sports.
For those sports that are not a paralympic sport, the international and national governing bodies of the individual sport are responsible for deciding if B4 and B5 athletes are eligible to compete in their local, regional, national or international competitions.
What we’re doing to raise awareness
Like Blind Baseball, VI rugby is a sport which allows B4 and B5 athletes to compete in national and international competitions. This gave David the opportunity to play, as he is classified as a B4 player.
Over recent years, David and many others have been vocal about getting B4 and B5 classifications recognised internationally. This includes Thomas Pocklington Trust’s Young Voices ‘Breaking Barriers in Sports campaign’ which is petitioning for B4 and B5 sight classifications to be recognised at an international level.
This will mean that athletes with these sight classifications can compete at paralympic level. To find out more information or to sign the petition, click the link below:
Sign the petition
Additionally, VI rugby is still in its early stages, with hopes of increasing participation among blind and partially sighted people. Over the next few years, the sport will focus on grassroots development in the UK.
To support this, Sight Loss Councils are planning to highlight VI rugby at future Let’s Get Active days across the country.
For more information or details on training sessions, follow and message @VIRugby on Facebook or Instagram, or contact Jack at 07504 700085.
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Passionate about making a difference? Want to influence positive change? Our Sight Loss Councils, led by blind and partially sighted volunteers, are recruiting new members. Join us today!
We use our lived experience to create positive change for others. Together, we tackle local issues and work with businesses and service providers to improve the accessibility of their services.
Join us to help ensure visually impaired people in your area can live the lives they want to lead.
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Publication date: 13 December 2024