Rugger from Oz Finally Signs with the Niners

Published on 3-Mar-2015 by J Square Humboldt

Football - NFL    NFL Daily Update

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Rugger from Oz Finally Signs with the Niners

It's been in the works long enough.

The only surprise came when Australian Rugby League star Jarryd Hayne inked a deal with the San Francisco 49ers instead of the Detroit Lions.

But a $100,000 guarantee for just showing up will do that.

However, do know that the dosh is secondary. The rugby world views this move in the same way North America saw Michael Jordan bagging hoops for baseball.

 

Yes, gridiron football evolved from rugby, but they demand different fine skills. Hell, there are even two forms of rugby: Union and League:

The two major differences between either form of rugby and gridiron is that a kick can advance the ball in the former while a pass does it in the latter. Among the other traits, it's notable that ruggers can't block for each other and play both ways.

Dudes down under just have that sort of attitude.

And rugby gave gridiron the term touchdown because a try isn't a try until the ball is ... touched down. Hayne has truly perfected that part of the game, and getting there was most of the fun:

Just as intriguing is word that some NFL players are looking at drifting in the opposite direction, albeit in a proposed new American venture.

Of course, that's a far dimmer stage than the one Hayne is leaving, but perhaps this is the start of lines between the two sports blurring for the first time since the late 1800s.