Former England youth star Harry Mallinder is the latest player to joining the NFL via the IPP after Louis Rees-Zammit; The Wales winger shocked the rugby world when he announced the move just before Wales announced their Six Nations squad
Thursday 18 January 2024 19:14, UK
Former England prospect Harry Mallinder joins Wales winger Louis Rees-Zammit in joining NFL through the International Player Pathway program.
Mallinder is the latest rugby star chasing his NFL dreams after 22-year-old Wales international Rees-Zammit, who played his club rugby at Gloucester, announced on Tuesday he is joining the NFL's International Player Pathway (IPP) this month.
Mallinder played for Northampton from 2013 through to 2021 and before moving to Japan where he was at the Black Rams Tokyo and has registered as a kicker/punter, while Rees-Zammit has registered as a running back/wide receiver.
On social media Mallinder said: "Excited and honoured to be selected for the 2024 NFL IPP as a kicker/punter. Can't wait to get to work!"
At the conclusion of the training camp, the IPP athletes will be eligible to fill a 17th practice squad roster spot on any of the 32 teams - an additional spot reserved for an international player.
This year's IPP class includes athletes from eight countries and various sporting backgrounds including rugby, basketball, athletics, Gaelic football and Australian rules football.
Nigeria (with one player listed as joint Scottish) and Ireland will each have four players at the camp, with three from England, two from Australia and one each from Wales, Austria and the Dominican Republic.
Rees-Zammit is not the first rugby player try his hand at making it in the NFL, but can he succeed where others have faltered and what sets him apart from his peers?
He follows in the footsteps of one-time England international Christian Wade, among others, but, given Wade did not make a regular-season appearance during his three years with the Buffalo Bills before returning to club rugby and French side Racing 92 in 2022, has Rees-Zammit possibly bitten off more than he can chew?
Wade is the most obvious example that Rees-Zammit can learn from, having both plied their trade on the wing in rugby union, and the Welshman already has the benefit of a five-year head start on the former Wasps star who was 27 when he made the switch in 2019.
Wade successfully came through the IPPP to land as a running back with the Bills, sensationally scoring a 65-yard touchdown with his very first touch for the team in a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. However, he would never see the field in a regular season contest and Wade previously hinted at how his greatest moment - that TD against the Colts - was symptomatic of his struggle to make the switch.
"The way I did my hand off, I kind of got in trouble for that," Wade said. "Initially I had it in the right pocket, but when I realised I was going to cut back, I went back to taking the ball like I was catching a rugby ball."
Wade is not the only homegrown rugby player to take their talents to America. Christian Scotland-Williamson and Alex Gray had too made the move from the Gallagher Premiership to the IPPP, landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons, respectively.
Again, neither saw the field in a competitive game before attempting to return to rugby. Gray can now be seen on the rebooted Gladiator TV series, taking down contenders as 'Apollo'.
Rees-Zammit's greatest strength is his speed. Like with Wade, it could make him a natural fit at the running back position, or, alternatively, could there be a fit at wide receiver? Or both.
Sky Sports' Neil Reynolds likened him to San Francisco 49ers dual threat Deebo Samuel, saying on the latest Inside The Huddle podcast: "You play him a bit at wide receiver, you stick him in the backfield, let him return some kicks. There's a lot of things he could do and it will be interesting to see how they use him at the upcoming camp."
Rees-Zammit's NFL adventure begins on Friday with a flight to Florida ahead of a 10-week intensive training camp as part of the IPPP, at the end of which he will find out if a team wishes to sign him.
That's just the start. Like with Wade and others who have traversed the same path before him, then making a team's starting roster is another battle in itself.
It is undoubted the Welshman has enormous potential. Not just in terms of his obvious athletic ability. As the NFL looks to continue its expansion into Europe and other territories, most notably with the International Series fixtures that take place each year, Rees-Zammit can bring the game to a whole new audience.
