PLAYERwelfare are the two most overworked words in the rugby lexicon, spouted parrotfashion by those whose organisations make increasing demands. But there is more to player welfare than exposing them to the risks of early retirement.
Ian McKinley’s inspiring road from nowhere to the Italian national squad shows that player welfare is also about being allowed to play, a right denied in his case by the IRFU. A stray stud during a club match six years ago, left the then 21-year-old student blind in his left eye.
Three years later the remarkable Dubliner started playing again in a custom...