Today's rugby news as world star quits sport at 24 to join Louis Rees-Zammit

Here are your rugby headlines for Tuesday, December 3.

Wallabies star Petaia follows in LRZ's footsteps

Australia international Jordan Petaia has announced he will quit rugby and chase his NFL aspirations after securing a coveted spot on the league’s International Player Pathway Programme (IPPP).

The 24-year-old was revealed on Tuesday as the maiden member of the programme's class of 2025, following in the footsteps of Louis Rees-Zammit after the Welshman shocked the rugby world earlier this year by announcing he was part of the 2024 IPPP intake.

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Petaia, who has played in the centre, on the wing and at full-back during his time in rugby, is slated to jet off to the States come January for an elite 10-week training camp in Florida, just as former Lion Rees-Zammit did, where he'll have the opportunity to dazzle club scouts and vie for a berth on an NFL team roster.

Petaia, who hasn't featured for the Wallabies this year owing to a shoulder injury, has deemed it appropriate timing to wave goodbye to the Queensland Reds, following the expiry of his contract last month and the completion of his shoulder injury rehab. He is set to train at the NFL Academy campus on the Gold Coast in Brisbane in preparation for the Stateside camp in the new year.

Opting out of rugby union—and forsaking the prospect of competing against the British & Irish Lions—Petaia departs after bagging 31 caps for his country and earning distinction as the youngest talent to partake in two Rugby World Cups, those being Japan in 2019 and France in 2023.

"The decision to step away from rugby hasn’t been easy and one that took a great deal of consideration," he said. "I’d like to thank the staff, coaches and players at the Queensland Reds and the Wallabies for the last seven years. I will be forever grateful for the experiences, skills and good mates that these teams have blessed me with.

"It feels like the right time with my age and stage in life to pursue this dream I’ve had for a long time. Thank you to everyone involved in the NFL IPP program for giving me this once in a lifetime opportunity. I am very grateful and excited for the experience that lies ahead. Wishing everyone in Rugby Australia the best for 2025 – I hope it’s a great year and I will be supporting closely from afar."

Petaia, like Rees-Zammit, who is now at the Jacksonville Jaguars after leaving the Kansas City Chiefs, is setting his sights on emulating Jordan Mailata, the Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman from southwest Sydney, who has become a standard-bearer for the NFL's IPPP. Since the initiative kicked off in 2017, Mailata is among just six players to have made it from the IPP to an active NFL team roster.

Sharing his long-standing affection for American football, Petaia said on Tuesday: "My dad used to let us stay home from school for Super Bowl... that’s why NFL is in my head," he revealed. Petaia recalls his vivid childhood memories, saying, "I was a big fan of watching the big collisions... in a big Samoan household we loved watching [former Pittsburgh Steelers safety] Troy Polamalu put on the big hits.

"I’m a fan of the whole game, really. In union people say there’s a lot of rules but there’s probably triple in the NFL. The playbook’s quite large and Madden [video game] can only get you so far. I’m enjoying all the little, different skills."

England international advances Liam Williams theory

England international Alex Goode has suggested a theory which could see Liam Williams sneak on to the Lions tour next year.

Williams has signed for Saracens after his deal with Japanese side Kubota Spears was ended owing to the Wales full-back welcoming his first child into the world.

During the most recent episode of The Good, the Bad & the Rugby, Goode was joined by former Dragons boss Bernard Jackman and journalist Charlie Morgan.

The trio comprised a composite Lions XV for next year's first Test against Australia and none of them included a single Welsh player, which is probably representative of where Wales are at the moment. But Goode, Williams' team-mate at Saracens and a 21-cap England player, believes there might be an outside shot of the former Scarlets man making the side if Andy Farrell wanted an extra full-back option.

"It's pretty tough," Goode said of the situation surrounding Welsh rugby. "It would take a big turnaround, but someone like Liam Williams (could be an option), because of his versatility, playing full-back and wing, having that third full-back option, because none of those wingers (James Lowe and Tommy Freeman) are really options [at full-back].

"It's tough for a lot of those players. They are playing in Welsh regions and not competing in the top tier of Europe as much, or those big names in knockout stages. It's tough for them to put their best foot forward.

"We will see how they turn out in the Six Nations. There is a lot to play for."

Former Dragons boss Jackman said of Wales: "They'll have tourists. I had a look at them today to see if any would nudge into the Test team that we were picking and I just didn't think any of them would.

"Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake would do themselves and their country justice if they played, but at the moment it's just so hard for them in a very poor team to really show how good they are."

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Superstar Maher joins Welsh stars

American superstar Ilona Maher has penned a deal with Premiership Women's Rugby side Bristol Bears for the remainder of the season. With a staggering following of 4.5 million on Instagram and 3.2 million TikTok fans, Maher is the world's most popular rugby union player on social media.

Skilled at both centre and wing, she's inked a three-month contract starting January and has already arrived in Bristol to meet her team-mates before heading back stateside until the new year.

Several of her new team-mates are Wales internationals, with the likes of Alisha and Jasmine Joyce-Butchers, Keira Bevan and Jenny Hesketh representing Bristol. Bears head coach Dave Ward expressed that securing Maher is a significant boost for the team.

"Ilona 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," Ward said. "She is one of the standout stars in the sevens game and we can't wait to see her play for Bears in XVs.

"Her ability ball-in-hand will give our attack a new dimension and her desire to star in the Rugby World Cup in England next summer is a huge driving force for her to achieve great things at Bears.

"Her profile as an athlete to inspire the next generation aligns exactly with ours as a club and we can only applaud the work she has and will do for the women's game."

Mars issue response amid fans' anger towards new Six Nations logo

Mars has weighed in on the recent revamp of the Six Nations logo after angry rugby fans pointed out its resemblance to their chocolate bar's emblem.

The Six Nations has launched what they call a 'reimagined and recharged brand identity', trading in the old symbol featuring a rugby ball shaped as the number six in the colours of the participating nations for a bold 'M6N' against a red rugby ball background.

This overhaul, according to the organisers, is geared towards making rugby more appealing to the youth.

But the redesign sparked a wave of derision and censure online, with fans berating the graphic design quality and likening it to both a Mars bar wrapper and something from Looney Tunes. And now, Mars has joined the conversation with a tongue-in-cheek reaction to the logo's reveal.

A spokesperson said: "It's not every day that you wake up to find out you're the 'unofficial sponsor' of the men's Six Nations.

"Deep down we know that we're not officially in the scrum together, but we can't help but think this is a match made in heaven."

With a nod to the widespread debate that the new logo has ignited online, they also noted that the Mars team quite likes the fresh look, displaying a good-natured approach to the mix-up.

In a bid to anchor the Championship's storied tradition firmly within today's game, the press release about the tournament explained the decision, saying: "Connecting its rich heritage with the modern game, and articulated through a distinctive and bold new brand, it is designed to resonate with everyone from new and existing fans to the players and unions competing in this iconic Championship."

The 'bold visual designs' are said to mirror 'how fans feel about the sport', while the 'distinctive orange' colour represents 'the optimism fans feel when they come together at the end of winter to experience the Six Nations together'.

Scotland lock joins Bristol Bears on loan

By PA Sport Staff

Edinburgh lock Jamie Hodgson has joined Bristol Bears on a short-term loan in a bid to get more game time.

The 26-year-old, who has five Scotland caps to his name, has been restricted to just two starts for his parent club this term and has been allowed to move to the Gallagher Premiership with immediate effect.

Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt said: "We believe this is a great opportunity for Jamie to get further game time and it also gives us the chance to further assess the development of young locks, like Rob Carmichael, who continues to train well and put his hand up for selection.

"With Sam Skinner back and fully fit, and Glen Young set to return soon, our second-row options continue to strengthen as we enter an important month of rugby.

"We wish Jamie the very best for this spell at Bristol."

Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam said: "With injuries in the second row to Joe Batley, Josh Caulfield, Steele Barker and George Taylor, we're pleased to be able to bring in a player of Jamie's quality and experience.

"As we head into a very busy period in the Champions Cup and Premiership, we're going to be tested across our smaller squad, so it was important to bring in some reinforcements in that position. We look forward to welcoming Jamie into the Bears family this week."