Australia center Jordan Petaia yesterday confirmed that he is to step away from rugby union and bid to win a contract with an NFL team to pursue a childhood dream he shared with his father.
Petaia said he will join the NFL’s international pathway program (IPP) for next year and look to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Jordan Mailata, who made a successful switch from rugby league to join the Philadelphia Eagles.
“The decision to step away from rugby hasn’t been easy and one that took a great deal of consideration,” Petaia said on social media. “Thank you to the NFL IPP for giving me this once in a life time opportunity, I am very grateful and excited for the experience that lies ahead.”
Photo: Reuters
Petaia, who became Australia’s youngest player at a Rugby World Cup when he made his debut as a 19-year-old against Uruguay in 2019, has been capped 31 times for the Wallabies and played seven seasons for the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby.
He played much of his career as an outside back, but was preferred as a center by former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones.
However, the 24-year-old’s career has been blighted by injuries, including a shoulder problem that sidelined him for half the Super Rugby season this year and ruled him out of the Wallabies’ international season under new coach Joe Schmidt.
Petaia said he and his brother grew up watching the NFL with their father, who died in 2020 after a heart attack.
“I’m taking this opportunity on a dream I’ve had, not only for myself, but a dream I shared with my old man,” Petaia told the Sydney Morning Herald. “He’d be looking down and shouting at me to take the opportunity. I think I probably would have regretted it if I didn’t.”
Queensland supported Petaia’s decision, with coach Les Kiss calling him a “great Reds player.”
Petaia is to attend the live-in IMG Academy in Florida next month to fast-track his education in football.
Doping fears prevented former US Open champion Emma Raducanu from treating insect bites on the eve of the Australian Open, she said, with players increasingly wary about ingesting contaminated substances. The British player was speaking in the wake of high-profile doping cases involving Iga Swiatak and Jannik Sinner. “I would say all of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use,” the 22-year-old said, recalling an incident on Friday. “I got really badly bitten by, I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess,” she added. The bites “flared up and swelled up really a
The NHL postponed the Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday with several massive wildfires burning across the greater Los Angeles area. The Kings and Flames were scheduled to play on Wednesday night at the Kings’ downtown arena. The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers were scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets in the same arena last night. “Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community,” the Kings said in a statement. “We appreciate the hard working first responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community. We appreciate the league’s support in keeping our
TWO IN A WEEK: Despite an undefeated start to the year playing alongside Jiang Xinyu of China, Wu Fang-hsien is to play the Australian Open with a Russian partner Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien yesterday triumphed at the Hobart International, winning the women’s doubles title at the US$275,094 outdoor hard-court tournament, while McCartney Kessler lifted the trophy in the women’s singles. Fourth-ranked Wu and partner Jiang Xinyu of China took 1 hour, 15 minutes to defeat Romania’s Monica Niculescu and Fanny Stollar of Hungary, 6-1, 7-6 (8/6) at the Hobart International Tennis Centre, their second title in a week. Wu and Jiang on Sunday won the women’s doubles title at the ASB Classic in Auckland, beating Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and Sabrina Santamaria of the US. Their winning ways continued in Australia as they stretched
EL CLASSICO: La Liga champions Real Madrid would face Barcelona in the Super Cup final tomorrow. Barca secured their final spot after a 2-0 win over Bilbao on Wednesday Real Madrid would chase a record-equaling 14th Spanish Super Cup title in the final against Barcelona after second-half goals by Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo helped them to a 3-0 win over Mallorca in the semi-finals on Thursday. England midfielder Bellingham broke the deadlock after the hour mark with a low shot into the middle of the goal before Mallorca defender Martin Valjent’s own goal doubled the lead in stoppage time followed by a Rodrygo strike from close range. Spanish champions Real are to play Barcelona for the trophy tomorrow after goals by Gavi and Lamine Yamal earned Barca a 2-0 win over
RSS