England may have lost 32-12 to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final last weekend but vision specialist Dr Sherylle Calder played a role in the team’s impressive play at the tournament.
Calder (pictured above with England player Maro Itoje) originally rose to prominence as part of the coaching staff for the England rugby team that won the World Cup in 2003. She has since been involved with South Africa’s triumph at the 2007 tournament and worked across other sports including cricket, tennis, golf and motor racing.
A former international hockey player, Calder designs player specific drills to promote the visual skills, such as peripheral vision and spatial awareness, that they need to perform on the field. She also discourages player use of mobile devices, especially on match days, because it detracts from visual awareness and attention span.
‘[Ball] handling is only one aspect,’ Calder told The Guardian. ‘Your eyes will show you, for example, which running line to take or where not to go. Timing of tackles, timing of runs, judgment of kicks and passes.’
Calder’s visual awareness training techniques are available commercially at eyegym.com, a website that includes a free eye assessment drill.