Wallaby Petaia quits rugby to chase NFL 'dream'
The Straits Times|December 04, 2024
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.
Wallaby Petaia quits rugby to chase NFL 'dream'

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.

This story is from the December 04, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 04, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE STRAITS TIMESView All
The Straits Times

CALLIGRAPHY IS BIG WITH ARTIST

The boulders hiding in the alcove of Tong Yang-tze's (right) Taipei apartment testify to this Taiwanese calligrapher's daunting perfectionism. They are paper - remnants of discarded artworks, crumpled together like used tissues and soaked into inky wads of pulp. Hundreds of old drafts of writing, including many of her efforts to draw Chinese poetry at a monumental scale, have been recycled into these rocks over the years, most recently as she worked on her commission for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which debuted on Nov 21.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 05, 2024
Mattel sued over Wicked dolls with porn website link
The Straits Times

Mattel sued over Wicked dolls with porn website link

LOS ANGELES - Mattel was sued on Dec 3 by a South Carolina mother for mistakenly putting a link to a pornographic website on packaging for dolls tied to the blockbuster movie Wicked.

time-read
1 min  |
December 05, 2024
Taiwanese musician-director Liu Chia-chang a composer of hit songs
The Straits Times

Taiwanese musician-director Liu Chia-chang a composer of hit songs

Famed veteran Taiwanese musician and director Liu Chia-chang has died at the age of 81.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 05, 2024
Actress Kristal Tin reveals lung cancer diagnosis
The Straits Times

Actress Kristal Tin reveals lung cancer diagnosis

Former TVB actress Kristal Tin revealed on Instagram on Dec 3 that she has undergone successful surgery for lung cancer.

time-read
1 min  |
December 05, 2024
The Straits Times

South Korean entertainment schedules up in the air

SEOUL - Schedules of performances and interviews in South Korea have been thrown into a state of uncertainty by a sudden martial law declaration that was lifted only a few hours later.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 05, 2024
Host Dasmond Koh surprised by martial law edict while in Seoul for work
The Straits Times

Host Dasmond Koh surprised by martial law edict while in Seoul for work

Upheaval in Seoul, South Korea

time-read
2 mins  |
December 05, 2024
Squid Game returns to end 2024 with a bang
The Straits Times

Squid Game returns to end 2024 with a bang

In this monthly column, The Straits Times' streaming picks for December include the long-awaited second season of the survivalist hit Squid Game (2021 to present) and its non-lethal equivalent.

time-read
1 min  |
December 05, 2024
Flow speaks Volumes, The Room Next Door a thin melodrama
The Straits Times

Flow speaks Volumes, The Room Next Door a thin melodrama

In the wake of a devastating flood, a cat finds refuge with motley stranded animals on a tattered sailboat.

time-read
1 min  |
December 05, 2024
Funeral rites come alive in The Last Dance
The Straits Times

Funeral rites come alive in The Last Dance

The Hong Kong drama offers fascinating glimpses into the city's funeral traditions

time-read
2 mins  |
December 05, 2024
Tolkien and anime work well together, says Japanese director
The Straits Times

Tolkien and anime work well together, says Japanese director

NEW YORK - It has been a decade since the work of fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien last appeared on the big screen.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 05, 2024