There’s always been an assumption rugby is safer than American football, because players aren’t tempted to make unsafe hits with no outer protection.
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One thing he couldn’t guarantee was the reaction of the players who missed out, a response he now regards as the measure of the team.
Fiji, who have won the last two world sevens series, are favorites to top Pool A, while a New Zealand side featuring twice 15-man World Cup victor Sonny Bill Williams will be expected to do the same in Pool C. The games are seven minutes to a half, and the field is the same size as in rugby union. Notable players include Nate Ebner, who actually started his career playing rugby but has won the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, and Carlin Isles, often described as the fastest rugby player in the world. In sevens, Ebner is a forward.
He also was Nate’s hero.
“I literally learned rules nearly every single day”, Doyle said.
Ebner said he would put his relationship with his father against any other father-son relationship.
“It’s exciting for the players to be involved with some of the best sportspeople in the world”, he said.
One evening over dinner in 2008, Ebner told his dad he wanted to walk on to the football program at The Ohio State University to try to reach the NFL, despite never having played in high school.
“Now that I’m going to the Olympics, I have moments of ‘Is this actually happening?'” The food’s been really great, we just trained this morning and the field is great, the weather is really unbelievable and I’m excited to be here and chill with these rugby [players].
“If I talk to you after the tournament and we go well, then I can answer that question”.
“As we saw in Moscow there were times when we clicked really well together, and times when you could see that the boys were used to playing a certain way for their country”. It was too much to bear.
Explaining the physical demands of the game, he said: “We all know that sevens is a pretty high-paced game, so you need a whole lot of strength, a whole lot of looseness, a whole lot of speed, agility”. I got a photo with him but he’s probably the biggest name I’ve seen here.
“To have the opportunity to one, go there and two, medal would be phenomenal”, the goal-kicking centre said. “They hit people. In the women’s game you don’t see a lot of that, but they’re punishing tacklers”. “If we have to chop and change the lineup game to game or even within a game, we’re ready and the players are ready to step up and do it”, he said.
“So whenever I am feeling that my legs are burning, I just look down at my wrist and remind myself that my mum is a fighter, so I’m going to fight as well”.
“I live in a little city and they’re all cheering for me and wishing me good luck, giving me cards”.
It won’t be easy. Argentina, USA, France, Japan, Australia and Kenya secured their spots by winning their regional qualifying tournaments and Spain were the final team to book their place in Rio by winning the last qualifying tournament in June.
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“I think it’s going to be completely different level of excitement in the athletes’ village”.
