Feature on Leonard Peters

IRB = International Rugby Board

IRB Note: "Peters was born in American Samoa and knew about rugby from an early age, but only because it was how his father filled his Saturday afternoons. Peters junior was not allowed to take up the sport and was never even taught the rules. Instead, his enviable athleticism and natural ability were successfully channelled towards the NFL."

Appreciating the chance he received from USA Sevens coach Al Caravelli, Leonard Peters said:
"First of all I was really grateful - for any athlete trying to cross over to any sport it is very hard, no matter which sport, but I was happy that coach Al (Caravelli) took me under his wing, taught me the sport and it's been going great for me." (IRL)

About competing for the USA only 6 weeks after starting in rugby, Peters said:
"Being an athlete helped a lot because obviously I could already run, jump, catch the ball, do all of that. It was learning the rules that was hard." (IRL)

Impressed with the cameraderie of Sevens rugby, Peters said:
"I was thinking that nobody was going to help me because you're competing for a spot on the team, but my eyes were really opened by how the guys would help me, teach me how to run angles and the plays. I was really drawn to the cameraderie on the team, really pleased that happened and I'm 100 per cent into rugby now." (IRL)

IRL Note: "Making it into Caravelli's team in such a short space of time is no mean feat. Once the whipping boys of world Sevens, the USA have developed a steely core over the last two seasons under the Argentine-born coach. During the most recent IRB Sevens World Series, they reached two Cup quarter finals and a first ever Cup semi final with seasoned players like Todd Clever, Chris Wyles and Takudzwa Ngwenya. Although that trio has used the exposure to secure full time contracts overseas, they leave behind a healthy legacy."

About how he wasn't prepared for the conditioning requirements for rugby, Peters said:
"I don't think I was prepared for all the running in Sevens. The conditioning was the biggest part for me coming over from (American) Football. In Football you run around for nine seconds and then you can rest for 45 seconds, whereas in rugby they told me 'we have to play for seven minutes', and I said 'seven minutes? I can play for seven minutes..' After the first minute I was looking towards the side line begging for coach to take me off, I was so tired. I wasn't prepared for that, but I've got used to it now." (IRL)

About being able to represent his country against other countries, Peters said:
"That was the one thing that really got me pscyched into rugby. In the NFL you play other states in the USA, not other countries, but rugby is on a global scale. You basically compete against the best athletes in the world and that really opened my eyes as to how many athletes are out there. It was such a great experience - never in my dreams did I think I'd go to China (Chinese Taipei) to play any sport and never before had I played in an arena where the opposing team was cheered as much as the home side." (IRL)

About how he's hooked on rugby now, Peters said:
"The people in the States haven't really caught on to rugby yet, not because they don't think it's a great sport but because they don't know the rules, and I think if we get the bid to go into the Olympic Games it would send it over the edge. I told coach Al while we were still in Chinese Taipei that I caught the bug, I've really been drawn in." (IRL)

http://www.irb.com/irbsevens/news/newsid=2032919.html