Jarryd Hayne retiring from NFL - to play Rugby 7s with Fiji!

[elvis15]

http://blogs.theprovince.com/2016/05/15/jarryd-hayne-jumping-ship-from-the-nfl-will-join-fijis-rio-rugby-sevens-push/

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Stunning news on a Sunday: Jarryd Hayne, who first won fame in Australian rugby league, then tried his hand at NFL football with the San Francisco 49ers, is now aiming for Rio.

 

He’s “retiring” from football, the 49ers announced on Sunday, and will join up with the Fiji sevens team, with the aim of landing a spot at Rio.

 

“Got to get as much depth as we can,” Fiji coach Ben Ryan told The Province from Paris, where his side went down to a 27-26 defeat to Samoa in the final of the Paris 7s.

 

There’s one tournament left on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series schedule, next weekend in London, so it’s not clear when Hayne would be able to make his competitive debut for Fiji. But he will train with Fiji this week ahead of the tournament, Ryan said. “Will see how he goes,” Ryan said via Twitter message on Sunday.

 

“I am retiring from the NFL because the Fiji Rugby Sevens team reached out to me about the opportunity to join the team for the upcoming Olympics, and I simply could not pass that chance up. The Olympics has been something I have admired since I was a little boy, and it is an opportunity I feel very similar to me joining the NFL,” Hayne said in a statement released by the 49ers.

 

“The 49ers organization has been incredibly supportive throughout my journey and I cannot thank them and the support staff enough.”

 

Adding Hayne to a bevy of riches will make some interesting selection dilemmas once it comes time for Rio. You could argue that Ryan could pick two teams with a chance of winning gold, such is the depth of sevens quality he has to choose from.

 

He could also be the second NFLer at the Rio Olympics, as New England Patriots special teamer Nate Ebner has been on loan with the USA sevens squad and has been in the mix for the last three tournaments.

 

Hayne was considered among Australian rugby league’s best when he made the move to the NFL in the waning days of 2014. It was a shock move then. This move is as much of a shock, not so much because he was dominating American football but more that he seemed set to keep proving himself on the gridiron. His 2015 season with the Jim Tomsula-coached team started with a flash but slowed quickly, as varying reports suggested Tomsula’s staff weren’t that keen on his talents.

 

With the arrival of new coach Chip Kelly, you have to wonder if Hayne was even less in the plans going forward. This is the time of year when teams check out the edges of their squad; was Hayne on the verge of falling out of the team’s plans?

 

Whatever the motivation, there’s no doubt Hayne could prove to be an incredible pickup for Fiji, who already boast a bevy of stars in their lineup.

Interesting option, with Hayne now in competition with 13 other players for one of 12 spots on the Olympic squad but not yet having played a game of 7s. As the article notes there's one tournament left this season but it's a very short turnaround to try and make that decision on him versus some of the other standouts Fiji has had this year.

 

We've also seen mixed success with other rugby stars trying to make 7s teams for a chance at the Olympics. Quade Cooper is a 15s star who tried for Australia but was cut, while others like Sonny Bill Williams - a top player for New Zealand 15s who also has boxed professionally and converted from rugby league a few years ago - have played well for the 7s side. There's no guarantee Hayne makes it with the switch in play style and mindset required to be a successful 7s player.

 

No doubt he has the talent though, so he'll make a big push since he's already committed by retiring from the NFL.

[Green Building]

Hmm. Not surprising that a former rugby player wants to play rugby in the Olympics. Call me ignorant, but shouldn't he be playing for Australia instead of Fiji? I know he played for both nations in the past, so they must have some sort of agreement that I'm unaware of. Just seems odd that an Australian would choose Fiji.

 

He was an interesting story in the NFL, and he got to cash a few decent checks so good for him. 

[two drink minimum]

Stunning news?? Retiring from the NFL?? Jared Hayne??

 

Theres nothing stunning here. The guy was barely in the league but for a few carries. When you suck and no one wants you on their team it isn't retiring. Who's next to retire that's stunning?... JP Losman?

 

 

[hatedkid666]

Rugby>>>Football 

[Apple Juice]

5 hours ago, Green Building said:

Hmm. Not surprising that a former rugby player wants to play rugby in the Olympics. Call me ignorant, but shouldn't he be playing for Australia instead of Fiji? I know he played for both nations in the past, so they must have some sort of agreement that I'm unaware of. Just seems odd that an Australian would choose Fiji.

 

He was an interesting story in the NFL, and he got to cash a few decent checks so good for him. 

Not sure of the rules but maybe he wants a shot at Olympic gold and Fiji is a strong rugby nation so he probably wants to set himself up for success.

[Alflives]

2 minutes ago, Apple Juice said:

Not sure of the rules but maybe he wants a shot at Olympic gold and Fiji is a strong rugby nation so he probably wants to set himself up for success.

Is Olympic rugby a seven's tournament?  Not a chance Fiji comes within 20 points of the Roos 15 aside.

[Ghostsof1915]

[elvis15]

6 hours ago, Green Building said:

Hmm. Not surprising that a former rugby player wants to play rugby in the Olympics. Call me ignorant, but shouldn't he be playing for Australia instead of Fiji? I know he played for both nations in the past, so they must have some sort of agreement that I'm unaware of. Just seems odd that an Australian would choose Fiji.

 

He was an interesting story in the NFL, and he got to cash a few decent checks so good for him. 

His father is Fijian and his mother Australian. He hasn't played Rugby Union/7s for either country yet (only played Rugby League for Australia professionally/nationally and for Fiji nationally) so would still qualify for either regardless of where he's played in the past.

[dura_mater]

Kind of feels like a let down to the fans following him on his NFL journey.  And Alf, I believe Fiji are the favourites so there is definitely a chance they not only come within 20 of the Roos but beat them as well.

[elvis15]

The way things went in San Fran, I'm not that surprised he isn't continuing. It's fair to think he'll get less of what was already sparse time under Kelly despite some highlight reel plays early in the season.

 

And Fiji has been one of the top teams this season, which is usually the norm, but Australia has also been a top team this year despite usually being a step behind (in 7s at least). But then Australia didn't offer Hayne a chance to play on the Olympic squad, so Fiji it is.

[elvis15]

http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/15644351/jarryd-hayne-fiji-rugby-sevens-debut-much-faster-nfl

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When Jarryd Hayne made the decision to quit the riches of the NFL to pursue his Olympic dream, perhaps he thought his natural ball-playing talent would be enough to book his place in Rio.

 

However, after 10 minutes of rugby sevens action with the Fiji national side atTwickenham in London, the 28-year-old was left under no illusion that he needs to up the pace if he is to make it to Brazil.

 

"[Sevens] is so much faster than the NFL," Hayne told ESPN. "I'm still getting used to it, still learning. There's a lot more running and back-to-back speed. It's not as physical as any sport I've played before because it's all about covering the field."

 

The Australian-born star made headlines a year ago when he announced he would be leaving a lucrative career in the National Rugby League for America's Game and the San Francisco 49ers.

 

Roll on 12 months and Hayne was grabbing the limelight once again with ashock decision to leave his spot as a 49ers running back for a tilt at the Rio Olympics, when rugby union will make its return for the first time since 1924.

 

If his decision to quit Levi's Stadium came as a shock, his opting for the white of Fiji rather than the green and gold of Australia caused a stir Down Under, with critics suggesting he was cherry-picking his medal chances this summer.

 

Fiji are reigning World Sevens Series champions and one of the favourites for gold in Rio and Hayne qualifies for them through his father. He has the quintessential Australian accent but, in London, was keen to pay tribute to his new Pacific Island teammates and the fans back home.

 

"It's been great, they've accepted me really well," Hayne said. "It's been overwhelming from day one, so they've really made me feel welcome and it's been a great week. We've got a tough test coming up but we know the support's great back in Fiji and across the world.

 

"Fijian Sevens is a lot more established than rugby league in Fiji. The guys know their stuff so it's about being a sponge and learning as much as I can."

 

In truth, Hayne's contributions to the Fijian cause have been somewhat inauspicious in London so far this weekend as the Word Sevens Series reaches its climax. Head coach Ben Ryan vowed to use him sparingly in the build-up to the Twickenham event and has stuck true to his word -- in Fiji's first two matches against England and Australia, Hayne was only used as a second-half substitute.

 

"It's not about game time," Hayne insisted. "It's about going out there and doing a job for the team. It's a team game, so whatever the team needs, I'll be there."

 

While his athleticism was clear to see in his new fast-paced code, there was a sense of the action passing him by as he attempted to get up to speed with his lightning-quick teammates.

 

More matches will be the solution to that problem, but with Rio just three months away, and Fiji with a host of stars to return from injury, Hayne will be under no illusion that he has a mountain to climb to realise his Olympic ambitions. But as he proved with his switch to the NFL, Hayne is not a man who shirks a challenge.

Had a great chase and trip tackle to save a try against Wales, but there are a lot of stars in the extended Fiji squad. It's not a given he makes it.

[elvis15]