Why do players transfer from rugby to NFL?

With the news of Louis Rees-Zammit returning to rugby in the uk after an 18 month journey with NFL in the U.S, its time to ask, why do players move across the ocean to try a completely different sport while at their height of success?

NFL and rugby have some similarities but for the majority, they are two completely different sports. They both have the same shape ball, and the same goal, get to the opposite end of the pitch. But there are a lot of differences, so why are players so attracted to it?

The most successful case of this was Aussie-Samoan Jordan Mailata, he played in rugby union and was a promising player until he left due to NFL executives inviting him to try the international player pathway. He signed for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018, and signed a 4 year contract-extension deal in 2021 worth $64 million. 

One of the most common names to come up when discussing the move from rugby to NFL is Christian Wade. He played for England and the wasps until he signed for the Buffalo bills in 2019 through the international player pathway. He scored a 65-yard touchdown in his first pre-season game, however he never played in a regular season NFL game. He returned to rugby in 2022 playing for Gloucester. 

In 1989-2007 NFL Europe was created as a separate league to help promote NFL to a wider audience, one of the most notable players who tried NFL during this time was former Scotland player Gavin Hastings. IN 2007 they decided on the closure of NFL europe due to a loss in earnings, deciding to focus on holding regular-season games outside of the US instead. 

Most players fail to hit the mark when trying to bridge the two sports, some of the specific skills differ significantly between them. NFL skills demand specialised techniques built from a young age which can make the late transition harder. 

But what are some of these skills that differentiate the two? 

A big difference is the layout of the two games. Rugby is played in 2x40 minute halves, with American football being played in 4x15 minute quarters, with longer breaks in between. 

American football is very finely tuned and choreographed, a lot of it is to do with strategy and a plan. Where as rugby you have to be prepared for the unpredictable, players have to be ready to run tackle and pass in any part of the field, with American football players having more of a role and staying in their specialised area. 

In American football, each team has two quarters to score, the opposition can intercept but primarily the attacking team has 15 minutes to advance the ball as far as they can. Reaching the end zone to score a touchdown is the equivalent of a try in rugby. The ways teams can score are similar.Another difference is the level of safety. Rugby players can wear gum shields or scrum caps for protection. Whereas American football players wear helmets, shoulder pads and knee pads. This doesn’t mean American football players are any less tough, rugby players are just more prepared and more dedicated to throwing themselves in without knowing what comes next. 

When a ball goes out of line, or out of touch, rugby players can play a scrum or a throw in. Neither of these exist in american football. A scrum is where both teams forwards or in American football terms their “offense and defensive line”, will go head to head to push as far down the field as possible while their fly half puts their ball in the middle of the scrum so players push the ball out and continue their attack. A throw in is where a player throws the ball into the field with each team throwing a player into the air to catch it. Some american football teams have adopted the “tush push” or “brotherly shove” move, where the offensive shove the player with the ball as far as they can, some similarities to a scrum but not entirely. But the NFL are looking into banning this technique due to its high success rate and players safety concerns. 

As well as the financial differences between the two. NFL has heavy advertising and sponsorships involved in its game, with many brands and companies fighting for an advertisement slot during the game, especially in the superbowl game due to the sheer volume of viewers it brings in each year globally. 

So could any nfl players come try out rugby? Definitely. But there are a lot of differences between the two and different skills to adapt.