Player loses sight after alleged gouging

A TALENTED rugby players has lost the sight in his right eye following an alleged gouging incident at the end of an AIL Division 2 game last month.

Eoin Collins, 32, a former captain of the Leinster junior interprovincial side, was lining out as a back row forward for Boyne RFC against Highfield from Cork on December 12 when the incident occurred.

A Highfield player has been cited for allegedly eye-gouging Mr Collins and an IRFU disciplinary hearing will investigate the matter later this month.

Mr Collins said: “Apart from being able to see a small bit of shadow, I have no vision at all in my right eye, and I honestly do not know what the future holds for me now.

“It happened in a maul at the very end of the game. I knew it was bad because my vision went black, there was bleeding and the pain was horrific.

“It was very upsetting at the time, but it really sunk in over Christmas when I was looking forward to spending time with friends and family and just couldn’t enjoy it, and that made me feel angry over the whole thing.”

Mr Collins, who also recently won a Meath league Division 5 medal with St Vincents, had just started work as a sales rep for Spring Grove textile services, but as he is now unable to drive he has no idea how things will transpire in that regard.

“My primary concern is to get sight back in the eye so I can have some quality of life, I will just have to wait and see what level of sight comes back in time, if any does.

“I doubt I will play rugby again, though.”

After the match, Mr Collins was brought to the Mater Hospital in Dublin and surgeons operated on his ruptured eye socket.

“The club doctor, Dr Lynn, and our physio, Ian McGovern, did brilliantly by me. They got me to the Mater straight away and that was absolutely vital. The surgeons have told me that the speed with which I was treated may well stand to me in the future.”

IRFU spokesman Karl Richardson stated: “I am not aware of that specific incident. However, our disciplinary panel meets regularly during the season to deal with dismissals and citings.

“If DVD or video evidence is available, they would view that and in fact they will take all available evidence into consideration.”

Highfield secretary Fergus O’Mahony revealed his club have been contacted by the IRFU.

“They have spoken to us, we have been informed that a named player on our team has been cited by Boyne for eye-gouging.

“On the day of the game we left the venue not knowing anything about it as it was never mentioned to us at all.

“We have already forwarded a copy of our DVD of the match to the IRFU.

“It seems like a horrible injury, and certainly we hope the chap makes a full recovery.

“We haven’t endeavoured to contact either him or the club as of yet as we feel it would be inappropriate to do so until the investigation is concluded.

“I would stress though that at the moment it is only an allegation against our player, and like anybody else, he has to be presumed innocent until it can be proved otherwise.”