time rugby will be played at the Olympics
since 1924, when theU.S. won gold compet-
ing in the traditional Fi eens version.
But then, Sevens is ideally suited to
the tournament environment. A match
takes just 15 minutes, including a minute
for hal ime, so as many as 24 games can
be played in a single day. “If you go get
a beer, you come back and two different
countries are playing,” saysMa Hawkins,
captain of the U.S. men’s national team,
the Eagles. “It’s 14 minutes that are
action-packed, but then there’s another
14
minutes. And another.”
With extra space on the field, Sevens
emphasizes speed, a fact that has made
American player Carlin Isles the sport’s
most exciting talent. A world-class
sprinter, Isles likely would have made the
London Olympics in the 100-meter dash
had he hailed from a different country.
But the U.S. has a glut of runners, so Isles
traded his track shoes for rugby boots and
joined the Eagles. He is now regarded as
the fastest player in Sevens history.
With the Rio Olympics coming, the
U.S. is pu ing a lot of money and effort
into Sevens, and the Eagles are on the
upswing, ensconced at a new Olympic
training center in Chula Vista, Calif. The
effort is already paying dividends: Playing
against Spain in Vegas, with two scores by
Isles in the first half, the Eagles roll over
their supposedly superior opponents and
go on to finish the tournament tied for
seventh (which is quite respectable, given
that the U.S. isn’t exactly renowned for
rugby of
any
sort).
The Eagles are also quickly gaining
a cadre of enthusiastic supporters, an
increasing number of whom are joining
the legions of fanatics who travel the
world to follow their teams. There’s ample
evidence of this devotion at the Vegas
event, which is a clamorous multicultural
jamboree. Clive, a 60-something Londoner
a ending theU.S.-Spain game, has already
done Dubai and South Africa this season,
and holds tickets for upcoming events in
Tokyo, Hong Kong, London and Glasgow.
“
I played Fi eens in university and a er-
ward, but once I watched Sevens I could
never watch Fi eens again,” he says. “It’s
just too slow.” The supporters around him,
meanwhile, aremore interested in singing
bawdy songs than discussing the finer
points of the game.
The same goes for the crowds lined up
along Fremont Street for the tournament’s
opening parade. As each of the national
teams passes by, the fans that have fol-
lowed themhalfway around the globe roar
withapproval, a response that seems amix
of nationalistic fervor and the simpledesire
to shout very loudly. At the stadium, beer
and food stands representing participat-
ing countries line the route, with samosas,
barbecue, fish and chips, curries andmore
being consumed in vast quantities.
“
This place rocks,” says Eagles head
coach Alex Magleby, surveying the scene.
“
It’s awesome, it’s nonstop, and it keeps
building all day. The costumes are crazy,
and some people spend all year working
on them.” The costumes are indeed some-
thing to behold: Elvis, spacemen, three
blind mice, gorillas, bananas, Pac Man
and Marilyn Monroe are all represented.
Sure, Sevens games are action-packed, but
there’s a sense that many of the fans are
just as enthralled by what goes on off the
field. As Eagles player Luke Hume puts
it, “It’s a big dance party where there also
happens to be rugby.”
LARRY OLMSTED
is a longtime sports and
travel journalist. He has set Guinness World
Records in poker, golf and skiing, but only his
skiing record still stands. Look out, rugby ...
THE FAN
||
culture
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