Sportvision clinical director hits out at rugby players making deliberate contact with eyes

Sportvision clinical director, optometrist Geraint Griffiths has hit out at the practice of rugby players making deliberate contact with the eyes of opposition players in the wake of another high profile incident.

England international winger Mark Cueto, playing for his club side Sale, has been banned for nine weeks for making contact with the eye or eye area of the Northampton lock Christian Day. Cueto was cited after TV footage showed him placing his hands on Day's face in an off-the-ball scuffle. Commenting on the number of eye-related incidents in rugby, Griffiths said: 'All professional sportsmen know how important their sight is... but at the same time I don't think they know how susceptible the eye is to damage.'