By Jacqui Mayhew 

Contact lenses for sport  which are only worn overnight while sleeping then removed the following morning have ensured short-sighted England lock Jo McGilchrist could play a full role in her team's 31-0 win away to Ireland which confirmed England as 6 Nations winners for the sixth successive season. This win crowned an impressive tournament for the World Cup runners-up since not only did it complete the Grand Slam over the other five nations, it also meant that England did not concede any points in four out of their five matches. The match also marked the final game for former captain Catherine Spencer whose career has ended on a high note having now announced her retirement from international and domestic rugby.

Previously for Jo McGilchrist, the challenge of training and playing a competitive contact sport like rugby when wearing conventional daytime contact lenses meant that she often needed to leave the pitch to replace lost or dislodged lenses. This common problem often persuades contact sports participants like Jo to opt for laser surgery in the belief that this is the only way they can achieve clear unaided vision and no longer worry about losing a contact lens in the midst of a competitive game or training session. However, the new overnight ortho-k corrective contact lenses for sport  provide all the benefits of laser surgery - but without the surgery. As Jo says: "I am now able to play a full rugby match knowing that my vision is 100% and not worrying that a lens might come out during a tackle or scrum."

The ortho-k lenses gently reshape the eye during sleep to correct the focusing distance of short-sighted people and the effect will last for up to 36 hours. This means that ortho-k lens wearers enjoy clear unaided vision from the moment they remove the lenses in the morning right through until they reinsert them at night before they go to bed. For UK-ranked featherweight Akaash Bhatia, the availability of these new overnight ortho-k corrective contact lenses for sport  has meant that he can continue his professional boxing career knowing he has sharp vision in the ring where conventional contact lenses cannot be worn. Akaash says: "I can now spar and train and do all the things I need to do in the comfort of knowing that I can see properly. It makes such a difference in the ring especially on fight night."

Check if you are suitable for overnight ortho-k corrective contact lenses  for sport.