Rugby Commentator Hilariously Narrates Everyday Life as Virus Cancels All Sporting Events

In the absence of sporting events, the announcers, who live for the thrill of commenting on live games, are left with the unquenchable urge to call something, so this rugby announcer turned to the most obvious alternative — everyday life.

Nick Heath, a rugby announcer from London, is spending his lockdown days providing color commentary for the mundane events of everyday life. Using only his phone, Heath recorded himself doing play-by-plays of a range of everyday activities, from people shopping to mothers pushing their babies in strollers. His commentary on two dogs chasing each other in a park has been viewed over 750,000 times on Twitter.

Since Tuesday, when he first began posting these videos, his Twitter followers have increased from 15,000 to around 104,000.

Heath told USA Today, “It was just going and having a bit of fun and keeping my followers on social media entertained. But it obviously has blown up a bit since.”

He went on to explain how doing real-life play-by-plays has been cathartic for him in a world without sports. “I’ve sort of referred to it a little bit as almost being the placebo for real sports,” he said, “because sport for me is as much about the sound of it, the look of it, the feel of it as the action itself. So I think if you can embody the sound of it to a degree, then you’re almost scratching the itch for some people.”