April 07--Taking another step toward his Olympic dream, New England Patriots safety Nate Ebner has been added to the U.S. rugby team for a tournament in Hong Kong this weekend.
A spot on the Eagles Sevens roster opened when star Carlin Isles was sidelined by injury.
With rugby returning to the Summer Games this year for the first time since 1924, the Patriots granted Ebner a leave of absence last month so he could join the American squad at its Chula Vista training camp.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound player was an All-American in rugby at Ohio State before being selected in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL draft. In four seasons with the Patriots, he has become a staple on special teams.
The Hong Kong stop in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series is scheduled to begin Friday. Sunday's concluding action will be broadcast live on the World Rugby website.
