Why don't Olympic rugby players celebrate more when they score?

If you’ve been watching any of the rugby sevens action at the Olympics, you might have noticed that each score (err, “try”) usually isn’t celebrated like a NFL touchdown. There are no coordinated dances, preplanned skits or dives into the crowds.

Indeed, most rugby players act more like Barry Sanders than Ickey Woods once they reach the promised land. After scoring, the players put the ball down without any dancing or showboating.

Why is that?

“You’re mostly too tired to do anything,” Team USA member Madison Hughes told Yahoo Sports. “You get the ball, you touch it down. and you’re like “Phew, I can take a breather.’

“Your breather is your end zone celebration.”

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Olympic rugby players are even more tired than usual after scoring. The Olympic tournament is being contested with only seven players a side (instead of the traditional 15 under rugby union rules). Rugby sevens not only allow for more scoring, but their shorter times (15 minutes a match) mean that teams can play multiple contests a day.

There’s also one main rule difference that leads to fewer celebrations: Teams only have 30 seconds to attempt a conversion kick (rugby’s version of an extra point), instead of the 60 seconds that teams get under rugby union rules. If they don’t attempt the kick within 30 seconds, the chance is forfeited.

“You really have no time,” Hughes said. “If you’re just doing these excessive celebrations, you’re teammates are going to be like “What are you doing? C’mon, help me out here.”

Unfortunately for the United States team, it was witness to one of those rare rugby sevens celebration on Tuesday. Argentina scored with no time remaining in the team’s Olympic opener on Tuesday, stealing a 17-14 win, sparking off a wild celebration from both players and the Argentine fans in attendance.

After all, there was no more match to play or breathers to take.

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