Ray Carlson grew up in East London, the son of Ken Carlson, who refereed the Durban test between the Springboks and Lions in 1962. After school he played provincial rugby for Eastern Province, Border, Western Province, Natal and North Eastern Cape. In 1972 Carlson toured with the Gazelles, a South African under-24 team, to Argentina.

Carlson played only one test for the Springboks, the first test against the 1972 touring England team at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.