Wallaby Jordan Petaia confirms NFL bid to chase dad’s dream

MELBOURNE – Australia centre Jordan Petaia has confirmed he will step away from rugby and bid to win a contract with a National Football League (NFL) team to pursue a childhood dream he shared with his father.

He said on Dec 3 he will join the NFL’s 2025 international pathway programme (IPP) 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.

“Thank you to the NFL IPP for giving me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I am very grateful and excited for the experience that lies ahead.”

Petaia, Australia’s youngest player at a World Cup when he made his debut at 19 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 centre by former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones.

But the 24-year-old’s career has been blighted by injuries, including a shoulder problem that sidelined him for half the Super Rugby season in 2024 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,” he 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 his decision, with coach Les Kiss calling him a “great Reds player”.

Meanwhile, American rugby sevens star Ilona Maher will join 15-a-side club Bristol Bears in January in a bid to play at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, the English club announced on Dec 2.

Maher helped the US to a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and is the sport’s most popular player on social media.

“This is a huge coup to be able to bring Ilona Maher to Bristol Bears on a short-term deal,” Bristol head coach Dave Ward said.

“She is one of the biggest names in women’s sport, let alone rugby, and we believe she will add real value to our programme on and off the field.”

Last week, Maher finished second on US television show Dancing With The Stars, and she was on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition in July.

She has signed a three-month deal with Bristol ahead of the World Cup, which starts in England in August. She made her 15-a-side debut for the US in November 2021.

“I am excited to join the Bristol Bears and put myself in the best position to earn a spot to represent USA in the 2025 Rugby World Cup alongside such a talented and driven group as the Bears,” the 28-year-old said in a club statement. REUTERS, AFP