Carlin Isles Made Me a Rugby Sevens Fan For 15 Minutes
Rugby. I know nothing about Rugby beyond the fact that it looks like a more violent version of football without the pads. I’m not even sure if I should capitalize Rugby every time I type it. I really don’t want to upset the sport because I know it could kick my ass. I’m going to err on the side of caution which is something no one has ever done when they decided to play Rugby.
Certainly not Carlin Isles, the man who could possibly make a less-small portion of America care about Rugby. It’s been barely two months since we (at this site at least) first heard about Carlin Isles. He’s a sprinter and former football player and he’s probably the fastest Rugby player in the world. Isles was on display this weekend on NBC for the Las Vegas Sevens event.
On Saturday afternoon, Isles showed how dangerous he is over a very short stretch, scoring two tries (trys?) is less than 2-minutes against Spain. It was electrifying. Isles scored twice and Team USA scored on their final possession of the game and kicked one of their crooked extra points to advance in the tournament. It was pretty damn exciting.
I was yelling at my walls, but there was no one there to listen. I jumped on Twitter, but not a single person out of the 711 I follow (mostly sports fans) was smashing their keyboard with a Rugby hashtag at the end. It was an international sporting event that featured an American doing something spectacular and not a single fuck was given.
But I have hope. Carlin Isles is barely 23-years old. He is the hope for Rugby in the United States. For the 15 minutes I consumed Rugby this weekend, it was awesome. It’s a brutal sport and the violence is universal. Carlin Isles isn’t the only sprinter / football player who isn’t making a living playing a professional sport, but he’s the first to take up and dominate Rugby.
This could be the start of a future were American football players decide to take up Rugby and the Eagles (That’s our team name) become a world Rugby power. Then people will care. Then maybe we’ll know the plural of a try is. Or any of the other rules that just look like a dog pile. I can’t wait, because it is kind of awesome.
Previously: Carlin Isles is Blazing Fast: Former Track Athlete Now Taking Rugby Sevens By Storm

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16 Responses to “Carlin Isles Made Me a Rugby Sevens Fan For 15 Minutes”
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February 11th, 2013 at 5:53 PM
Sevens? Pfft.
/Dirt
I watched a little of this on Saturday and Sunday. They are some tough fuckers. Seemed extremely gimmicky.
NBCSports is just a feeder channel for Olympic sports, isn’t it? Luge was on after.
February 11th, 2013 at 5:57 PM
isles to the NFL. and i may be helping coach middle school rugby this spring
February 11th, 2013 at 5:59 PM
holy shit that kid can fucking fly.
/click clack
loved the bro hug after the rugby touchdown at 1:29.
February 11th, 2013 at 6:10 PM
Any CTE issues in rugby?
I may want to get on this bandwagon soon before the NFL closes shop in 2022.
February 11th, 2013 at 6:13 PM
na, just more torn ACL’s than willis mcgahee and some fingerblastin’ in the scrum.
February 11th, 2013 at 6:57 PM
Sevens? Pfft.
/Dirt
It’s like playing 4 on 4 football, but on the entire football field. There’s nothing but space. I watched quite a bit yesterday, for want of something that wasn’t NBA basketball.
the rugby touchdown
it is hilarious that even though they actually touch the ball “down”, they don’t call them touchdowns. When I watch (real rugby), I always scream touchdown when they score a rugby touchdown. Nobody seems to mind.
I do it for soccer, too, but they almost never score touchdowns in soccer. They just kick it with their feet, back and forth and back and forth.
February 11th, 2013 at 7:18 PM
It’s like playing 4 on 4 football, but on the entire football field.
I played 8 man football in High School. It reminded me of that. Get past the line with a fast dude and touchdown.
February 11th, 2013 at 7:21 PM
did st. bear do a rugby 7′s preview this year?
February 11th, 2013 at 7:34 PM
Isles definitely has some jets but he needs to improve his footwork and develop a step. If he does that he’ll be scary, of course it would also help if the USA could get some playmakers that knew how to get him the ball in space.
February 11th, 2013 at 7:43 PM
February 11th, 2013 at 7:53 PM
St. Bear are you going to do a Super rugby preview? Or do you stick to the international scene?
February 11th, 2013 at 9:03 PM
That dude would get broken in half in the NFL. He would be good for a long punt return or two, but that’s it.
February 11th, 2013 at 9:18 PM
Link?
February 11th, 2013 at 10:09 PM
had this tab open and mustve read this wrong the first time, cuz i hella lolled right now.
February 11th, 2013 at 11:41 PM
I watched a little bit too and I was completely entertained. I didn’t understand what the hell was going on but it looked like those dudes enjoyed beating the crap out of each other.
/would watch again
February 14th, 2013 at 8:57 PM
You also have Takudza Ngwenya, a Zimbabwe/American, possibly the fastest man in the 15 man version. Google “utube ngwenya habana try” to see the american back line have a magic moment