Sunday Sep 29, 2024
Sunday Sep 29, 2024
Thursday, 25 July 2013 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Carlin Isles, the 36th fastest man in the United States, doesn’t think so. His US national school records in the 60 metre dash, 100 and 200 metre sprint and the 4x200 metre relay, in addition to the long jump, still stand to this day and his records for yardage in American football also stand out impressively. He was born to run and quite rightly takes it very seriously, and seeing him run on the rugby field, he looks like someone who has been set free to run to his heart’s content.
So it was quite natural that he would take a liking to a game that gives him the freedom to do just that, minus the restrictions of the set piece offensive formations of American football. In answer to the question of why choose rugby 7s over the fame and glamour of Olympic glory and countrywide admiration of American football, he claims it’s all a combination of speed and freedom that attracted him to the game.
“It was a combination of both; I could use my speed and that’s what really made me happy. Being able to showcase my speed and talent and show the world what I can bring to the table. So that was one thing and I just wanted to inspire people. Rugby was unique and different and I feel that God just switched my plan and direction.”
His first introduction to the rugby 7s came via the internet while studying film online in preparation for Olympic trials not so very long ago in 2012, where he came across a clip of game that got him hooked. “I started watching it and then I saw how much space there was and it looked exciting with big crowds and people making exciting plays and all that, and the more I kept watching it, the more I fell in love with it.”
Isles’ journey in to the spotlight started the same way as his own introduction to the game did, through footage uploaded on YouTube showing a young 20-something year-old outpacing some of the best rugby 7s veterans in the game during the October 2012 Gold Coast Sevens, coming on as a second-half substitute and scoring his maiden try in his very first minute on the pitch.
One of his many YouTube videos since then quickly went viral gathering over two million views and catapulting him to the status of a phenomenon, managing to even astonish long-time IRB commentator Nigel Starmer-Smith who after watching one of Isles’ famous try scoring runs downfield, commented: “I’ve never seen anyone that quick on a rugby field ever, XVs or sevens. I don’t think anyone else has either.”
He handles the fame well though, keeping himself grounded and focused on his game. “I don’t let it get to my head too much and I try to stay humble and just work hard and I know it’s a lot of pressure especially for me, since my YouTube popularity, a lot of people have got to know me from around the world but I just try to keep my eye on the prize and just and stay focused, grounded and just work hard and stay humble.”
Recalling his first experience playing sevens in the US, Isles said: “My first experience playing 7s was really good, I was training a lot and trying to learn the game and once I started playing I really got the feel and hang of it and it was pretty smooth once I got into it.”
Having spent just over a year playing the game, he remains honest in terms of where he believes improvement is required in his game: “One thing for me to do to become a better 7s player is understand the field a little better. You know, just learn how to run off people, read defence, use my speed to my advantage and also to use my lateral work and my agility such as stepping and things like that. It’s coming along pretty good. The main thing for me is to keep playing and getting used to doing it over and over again. So the more I play, the better I’ll be.”
Currently, Isles plays solely for the US National 7s team in the US and with his natural speed, one would expect to see him making the starting line up in any European club or even the Rugby League in the very near future, but he prefers to leave it to a higher power in deciding his future direction.
“Wherever God leads me, whatever the direction people want to take me I’ll go. I just want to focus on working hard and be great in the Rugby League or whatever it is I’m going to do in the future, I just want to show the world what I can bring to the table.”
Isles comes across as a very inspired individual and his source of inspiration comes from a combination of his strong faith and his self-professed fear of failure. “I get my inspiration from God mostly, I think I’ve been through a lot in my life and I’m the type of person who likes to work hard and I train hard and I want to be somebody. I don’t want to be nobody and ever since I was a kid I always just knew that I wanted to be great and failure was never an option.
“I knew I had a gift and I wanted to make it last forever and I wanted to shine. I think that me being a witness of God’s work and him being there for me and giving my life direction he’s been one of my greatest inspirations and motivations. Just seeing a lot of people’s such as athletes make mistakes and not use their potential or taking it for granted. I never want to be one of those guys and from high school where people ask what ever happened to Carlin Isles. Failure scared the crap out of me and every day I woke up and looked in the mirror and I wanted to look at myself and know that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing and using my gifts and talents.”
Sri Lanka’s rugby fans will soon see Isles taking the field for the Sabaragamuwa Stallions, sponsored by Royal Ceramics Lanka, who signed on the youngster for the duration of the Carlton 7s happening this month, and he sounds supremely confident about playing with a team that only came together in the past week. “We have a really good team and I’m confident in us and in our ability to do what we’re supposed to do. I feel like we’re strong, we’re fast and powerful and we have a mixed combination but I feel like we all work well together.
“I’m a big team player, I’m not a selfish person and it kinds gets in the way a bit as well because I don’t call for the ball like I used to and it’s like they say you need to ‘want’ the ball all the time. I just put my team first and that’s what’s really important. It’s a group effort and I can’t win on my own, so for me being a team player is number one in my book and I have to be otherwise I won’t get the ball and nobody will like me. So being a team player is number one.”
Regardless of how far the Stallions get in the tournament this year, Carlin Isles will be one of the brightest stars to watch out for, with his easy ability to outsprint any opposition, we can expect to see some fireworks from the wing in the next couple of weekends at the Carlton 7s, which, if his parting words of “I’ll look forward to putting on a show for everyone” are anything to go by, should be spectacular.
Pix by Lasantha Kumara
