Ireland will wear white jerseys instead of their traditional green for today's Six Nations clash against Wales in Cardiff, marking a historic change in the tournament's kit policy.
The switch comes as part of new rules introduced in 2025 to make matches more accessible for colour blind viewers, with visiting teams now required to change their kit when colour clashes are identified.
Wales will maintain their iconic red strip at the Principality Stadium for the round three encounter.
Colour blindness affects approximately one in 12 men (8 per cent) and one in 200 women in the population.
Ireland are not wearing their traditional all-green top against Wales
PA
In the UK alone, around three million people - about 4.5% of the population - are colour blind, with the majority being male.
Red-green colour blindness is the most common form of the condition, making traditional matches between Wales and Ireland particularly challenging for affected viewers.
The historic Welsh red versus Irish green combination has long proved frustrating for those with colour vision deficiency.
World Rugby's colour blindness guidelines became official policy in January across all governing body competitions, mandating teams to avoid kit clashes affecting colour blind viewers.
The guidelines specify that "one team should play in a dark kit and the other in a light kit" to prevent viewing issues.
Teams playing primarily in dark colours are now required to have a light alternate kit, which explains Wales' recent switch from black to white as their away strip.
The rules also stipulate that primary and alternate kits must be compatible without causing colour blind clashes.
Kathryn Albany-Ward, founder of Colour Blind Awareness, welcomed the change as "fantastic news" for supporters.
"Finally, they are going to make sure that colour-blind people can follow the game," she told the Daily Mail. "Many thousands of fans will be delighted."
She added: "This benefits everyone - including the players who often don't feel they are able to speak up.
"If eight per cent of men are affected, then that means there will be two to three players in every squad who are impacted in some way."
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Ireland will not be allowed to wear green against Wales, if they are in red, in the future
PA
The new kit regulations are also expected to be implemented at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, extending their impact beyond the Six Nations tournament.
Today's match will be Wales' first since Warren Gatland's departure as head coach after just two rounds of this year's championship.
Gatland's second stint ended following a record run of 14 straight defeats, with Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt taking temporary charge while the search for a permanent replacement continues.
