Ireland's fastest one of seven from rugby to join NFL
NEWS: The NFL has announced its International Player Pathway programme class of 2025, which includes seven players from both rugby union and rugby league.
Australia centre Jordan Petaia is the headline name on the list from rugby union, whose move to American football has been well-documented.
Petaia will be joined at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, in January by another international rugby player, former France Sevens international Joachim Trouabal.
Ulster wing Aaron Sexton is the final representative from northern hemisphere rugby to make the 14-player list- a player who has been unofficially dubbed the fastest player in Irish rugby.
Sexton holds a 10.43 second PB for the 100m and 20.69 for the 200m. Separately, he’s been clocked at 37.8 kph on a rugby field, namely an Ulster A game against Connacht a couple of seasons back. That converts to an impressive 10.5 metres per second, a feat executed on the traditionally sodden Sports Ground surface in Galway, a stat he would likely surpass on a harder pitch.
Laitia Moceidreke, Laki Tasi, Jeneiro Wakeham, and TJ Maguranyanga are the four other players from both rugby codes who hope to follow in the footsteps of Louis Rees-Zammit.
The former Wales wing joined the IPP programme at the beginning of this year and spent pre-season training with the Super Bowl winners the Kansas City Chiefs before joining the Jacksonville Jaguars training squad, where he remains.
“The Class of 2025 is an exciting one, and we are delighted to welcome these talented athletes from around the world to the International Player Pathway program,” said NFL executive VP of international, events and club business Peter O’Reilly.
“Focusing on our global football development efforts and fostering international talent is crucial to growing our game globally. The IPP program offers life-changing opportunities for international talent, and we look forward to following their progress in the weeks and months ahead.”
Source @RugbyPass
