Over the weekend, Olympic rugby players Steve Tomasin and Rodrigo Isgro put a new twist on an old tradition when they dropped trou in the middle of the rugby field in Paris and exchanged shorts.
Following Saturday’s Rugby 7s match, in which Argentina beat the U.S., 19-0, the opposing players stripped to their skivvies.
The American Tomosin was clad in a pair of star-spangled Noodle Bagz briefs, while Isgro donned what appeared to be a pair of simple white briefs. Reuters had the shot seen ’round the world.
While this bromo-erotic act may seem like the inciting incident from a Sketchy download, its actually rooted in athletic tradition.
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Their ritual was a modification of “shirt swapping,” which can be traced back to a 1931 football match between England and France. Following the French team’s defeat in that match, they asked to keep their British opponent’s jerseys as souvenirs.
Another notable example was after the 1970 FIFA Wold Cup where Pele and Bobby Moore swapped shirts. Over the years, the tradition crossed over to other sports such as baseball, basketball, and American football.
But this deviation of short swapping is unique. According to NBCOlympics.com, “Tomasin simply wanted to keep his Olympic-worn jerseys as a memento, but he still wanted to do a traditional kit swap with the other team. So, to Tomasin, the shorts were the next logical option.”
Fans of Tomasin in his undies will be pleased to know this isn’t his first foray into brief-cut thirst traps. A series of photos posted on his IG in Feb 2023 showcased the rugby star sipping espresso wearing nothing but a pair of brown speedos and flashing his Olympics tattoo.
Another series of Instagram posts showcased himself and his teammates wearing Noodle Bagz swimsuits after a 120-mile run from Santa Monica to Pacific Beach.
Despite the memorable underwear moment for US and Argentina, the literal winner of the day was France, who snatched gold, followed by Fiji winning silver, and South Africa winning bronze.