Irish winger among rugby stars set to quit sport for NFL amid leaked email

Another top rugby player has quit the sport to pursue a career in the NFL, with Wallabies star Jordan Petaia following in the footsteps of ex-Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit.

The 24-year-old Australia international has been confirmed as the maiden member of the 2025 International Player Pathway Programme (IPP), the same route that Rees-Zammit took when he shocked the rugby world by walking away from the sport earlier this year.

After impressing on the programme, the Welshman signed for Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs and trained alongside superstars including Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. He is now on the practice squad at the Jacksonville Jaguars and developing his skills in hope of one day earning a place on the active roster.

Petaia, who has 31 caps for Australia, is hoping to go even further and is set to train at the NFL Academy campus on the Gold Coast in Brisbane before jetting out to the States for a 10-week training camp in Florida next month. Announcing his decision on Thursday, the Queensland Reds back admitted the decision to leave rugby "hasn't been easy and took a great deal of consideration".

"It feels like the right time with my age and stage in life to pursue this dream I’ve had for a long time," he added. "Thank you to everyone involved in the NFL IPP program for giving me this once in a lifetime opportunity. I am very grateful and excited for the experience that lies ahead."

The Wallabies star is expected to be joined on the IPP programme by Ulster wing Aaron Sexton, with the former Ireland sevens player set to leave the province and move Stateside in the coming weeks. A former sprinter, the 24-year-old has scored one try in 10 appearances for Ulster.

Petaia and Sexton are highly unlikely to be the last players to make the switch to the NFL, with the league stepping up its efforts to bring in fresh talent from the rugby world. Earlier this year, the Telegraph reported that it had seen a leaked email sent out by the NFL to representatives of rugby players, inviting them to nominate any potential candidates to join the programme.

In that email, the league set out specific criteria that interested athletes should meet. Specifically, the NFL requested that they are aged between 20 and 24 and possess 'outlier size' (6ft 3in+), athleticism or kicking ability. The email added that players' "current contractual obligations" could also be discussed to help facilitate a move on to the programme.

Among those to have been approached to join the IPP is England international Joe Cokanasiga, with the 6ft 4in, 17-and-a-half stone wing reportedly going as far as visiting the NFL's offices in London to discuss a potential move. However, the Bath wing ultimately decided to stay in rugby.

But while the move wasn't for Cokanasiga, several top players have reported actively put themselves forward for the programme, including a number of South African players currently competing in the URC and a member of the French sevens team.

There were previously rumours that world superstar Antoine Dupont could also make the switch after the scrum-half - who won sevens gold with France at the Olympics earlier this year - trained with the Los Angeles Chargers while over in America. However, while the Frenchman admitted he is a fan of the sport, he played down speculation that he could move into the NFL himself.

"No, I think it’s quite far from rugby," he said when asked if he could see himself making the switch. "I would really have to dedicate a lot of time to it. And to be honest, I don’t even have a position in mind where I could see myself."

Players who do join the IPP at the start of 2025 will be looking to emulate the success of former Australian rugby league player Jordan Mailata. The 6ft 8in star formerly played for South Sydney Rabbitohs U20s before joining the IPP in 2018 and is now left tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles, with career earnings of around £43 million.

Speaking earlier this year, Mark Dulgerian, the lead scout for the IPP said: “When we talk to coaches and general managers they suggest there are not many Mailata’s out there, but physically there are. Quite a few of them. It is just the age, landing with the right team like Jordan did, a team which is willing to develop them. All the stars aligned for him.

“Unfortunately, there are some guys who did come to us who are a little bit older and well-known in the rugby world, but that is just not what NFL teams are looking for," he added. "They have accomplished a lot in rugby and maybe just want to try out football as their last hurrah in their athletic career, but the bottom line is we’re not in this to showcase a guy for marketing. We are looking for guys who are going to play and who we can develop."