Tommy Bowe set to play with the help of a hurling glove
This weekend, Tommy Bowe will grace the field of the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne wearing a special padded glove to protect the broken bone in his right hand.
While the glove was originally designed for hurling, it won’t be the first time that GAA equipment has graced one of the biggest stages in world rugby.
In 1995, South African full back Andre Joubert broke his hand playing against Western Samoa in the quarter final. Despite undergoing immediate surgery, he remained a doubt for the rest of the tournament. Articles appeared in newspapers around the rugby playing world that he was sleeping in a decompression chamber to aid his recovery and that the medical team were designing a special glove for him to wear.
One of those articles was read by a GP living in Greystones, Co Wicklow. Brendan Cuddihy had recently designed a protective glove for hurlers to wear. The Ashguard was on the market in Ireland for two years at that stage and Brendan thought it might just be what Joubert needed.
“I read about the injury just before the semi final and I called the IRFU and asked them for the contact details of the South African rugby union. I gave them a call and fair play, the medical team called me right back.
“Mark Harbison was the surgeon dealing with Joubert and he had some Irish connections. He told me that they were trying to make a glove themselves but the Ashguard sounded like it would be ideal.
“DHL got it there in time for the semi final. They actually shipped it for free because of the publicity. The referee inspected it and gave it the all clear. So Joubert wore it for both the French game and the final against New Zealand.
Andre Joubert was one of the host nation’s outstanding players in that final. It remains to be seen if the same magic might rub off on Tommy Bowe this Saturday.
http://www.newstalk.ie/The-Irish-hand-protectors-and-rugbys-biggest-stageRugby World Cup, South Africa, Tommy Bowe, Lions, Australia, Hand
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Article source: http://www.rugbyweek.com/news/article.asp?id=39511
The Irish, hand protectors and rugby"s biggest stage - Newstalk 106
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