- McKinley was initially forced to retire due to detached retina
- Rugby goggles allowed him to play for Italian clubs and Azzurri
Ian McKinley, the former Irish U20 player who overcame the loss of sight in his left eye to play international rugby for Italy, has announced his final retirement from the sport at the age of 31. The fly-half won nine caps for the Azzurri after campaigning for the wearing of specially-manufactured goggles to be permitted.
Related: Ian McKinley: ‘My eye injury turned life upside down but it opened up the world’
