L R-Z quits Wales for a shot at NFL

[shasta]

I don't recall anyone from rep level doing this since Colin Scott's. At 22 he's not out of options if it doesn't work out, I suppose.

"The Wales winger Louis Rees-Zammit has stunned the rugby world on the eve of the Six Nations by announcing a career switch to American football with immediate effect".......

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/jan/16/louis-rees-zammit-quits-rugby-in-shock-move-to-pursue-dream-of-nfl-career-gloucester-wales

[Sheikh]

L R-Z might actually be someone who could make it in the NFL; I'm always slightly dubious of rugby players trying to make it in the NFL, as they have spent years honing their body for playing a different sport with different requirements from the body; rugby needs much more cardiac fitness, NFL requires repeated explosive anaerobic efforts at 4-5 seconds at a time.

But L R-Z is about the right body shape 1.9 m tall, <90 kg to make it as a wide receiver (or possibly a cornerback, as he can tackle) but will be up against hundreds of similarly sized American players who will be coming out of college each year, who have spent >10 years honing their skills through school and college.

L R-Z is going into the NFL International Player Pathway programme, which allows selected sides to pick one international player a year to train up where the player doesn't count against the squad size limits. But this does take some of the coaching time away from more established players, so not every team avails itself of the opportunity. The one great success story of the NIPP is Jordan Mailata, who became an Offensive Tackle and won the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles, but otherwise the players rarely make an impact.

Note that Mailata is often quoted as having been a rugby league player, but never played professionally. He fainted during a training session and doctors diagnosed a heart defect which required surgery. When recovering from that his weight ballooned up, and while he was offered a reserve-grade contract by the Rabbitohs he was advised that his condition would struggle with the continuous effort of league; his size and requirement to play in a stop-start fashion actually contributed to his success in NFL!

[shasta]

Note that Mailata is often quoted as having been a rugby league player, but never played professionally. his size and requirement to play in a stop-start fashion actually contributed to his success in NFL!

He did play State Cup for Souths, I think or was it NYC? Anyway his size and lack of mobility were against him as Sheikh said.

Colin Scotts took a different route and risked a lot more. He was the captain of the 1981 Schoolboys and touted as a future Wallaby skipper. On that NH tour the Uni of Hawaii sent scouts to follow him & film his endeavors. They offered him a scholarship and the rest is history. IIRC Paul Sironen was offered the same and went too but came straight back. Anyone looking for a good read; Scotts' biography is well worth a look.

[Burgs]

A "pretty" face like that probably needs a helmet wrapped around it...

[shasta]

He did play State Cup for Souths, I think or was it NYC? Anyway his size and lack of mobility were against him as Sheikh said.

Colin Scotts took a different route and risked a lot more. He was the captain of the 1981 Schoolboys and touted as a future Wallaby skipper. On that NH tour the Uni of Hawaii sent scouts to follow him & film his endeavors. They offered him a scholarship and the rest is history. IIRC Paul Sironen was offered the same and went too but came straight back. Anyone looking for a good read; Scotts' biography is well worth a look.

PS. Colin Scotts was also one of the very few NFL players to be used in both offense and defense - but not on the same day

[tjs10]

I don't recall anyone from rep level doing this since Colin Scott's. At 22 he's not out of options if it doesn't work out, I suppose.

Christian Wade (1 England cap & British Lions tourist) tried take the same move as LRZ in 2018. He joined the Buffalo Bills but never made it beyond pre-season/practice contracts, before returning to rugby in 2022 where he signed with Racing 92 in France.

[Sheikh]

Christian Wade (1 England cap & British Lions tourist) tried take the same move as LRZ in 2018. He joined the Buffalo Bills but never made it beyond pre-season/practice contracts, before returning to rugby in 2022 where he signed with Racing 92 in France.

And Wade is arguably physically better prepared for NFL than LRZ. Wade had quick acceleration, which is what you need for the NFL, but was still considered too slow. A rugby player probably hits top speed after about 30-40 m. A wide receiver is expected to hit top speed within 10 steps (a running back within 5!). LRZ is reckoned to have run a 100 m in under 10.5 seconds, but the NFL looks at your speed for the 40 m, and unless you can run it in 4.5 seconds, you won't make it as a wide receiver.