A Review of the Essential Visual Skills Required for Rugby: Beyond 20-20 Optometry

Abstract

Abstract Background: Vision is one of the most important qualities required of athletes. It provides players with an ability to perform sport-related drills, as well as applying decision-making skills. In order to accurately measure the visual ability of athletes, it is important to first identify the variety of visual skills involved in the sport, in this case rugby. Objectives: The objectives of the review novelty are to identify the most important visual skills for rugby. To create a referencing point for future studies to be able to add additional visual skills essential to rugby players. Methods: An electronic search was conducted to assess the scientific literature relating to the visual skills required for rugby. Only peer-reviewed articles written in English were included in the search. Data on the relationship with match performance, the problem definition or purpose of the study, and the inclusion of a theoretical definition of tactical behavior were extracted. Discussion: The most important visual skills in rugby are: Visual acuity, Eye tracking, Eye focusing, Depth perception, Hand-eye coordination, Fixation, Fusion flexibility, Visual adjustability and Colour flexibility. Rugby players must pay attention to their teammates' positions, understand the opponent's actions and tactics, handle the ball, analyze the current situation, and predict what will happen.