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White Ferns LIVE from 7pmHow college rugby could open door for NRL in USA
Scott Bailey, AAP •  February 25th, 2026 7:49 pm
Jillaroos coach Jess Skinner has helped to identify talent from college rugby union in the US | Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP
American rugby league officials are eyeing off college rugby union as a potential breeding ground for the NRL, believing there are already players set to win clubs over.
An American All-Stars rugby union team will play in both the men's and women's competitions in this week's NRL Nines in Las Vegas, as part of the first move into the collegiate system.
Picked from the National Collegiate Rugby Championships, the sides were selected by former St George halfback David Niu along with ex-NRL coach Neil Henry and Jillaroos coach Jess Skinner.
Neil Henry helped with selection | Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP
The players will also attend Dragons training this week, before mixing it with several pathways players from Australia in the premier division of the Nines tournament.
The system effectively replaces the NRL's talent combine which ran for the opening two years of the Vegas venture and largely attracted discarded American football talent.
"You have the infrastructure in place, and these kids already have a rugby ball in hand," Niu told AAP.
"So the transition isn't quite as deep and drastic. They're the right age too, from 17 through to 21.
"Whereas the combine the past two years, you get that impact from optics. You'd say: 'Look how big this guy is or athletic'.
"But then when he passes a ball you see the real challenges they have.
"But these guys already have the base."
The National Collegiate Rugby system has over 20,000 players across 650 clubs, operating in conferences across the country.
This week's sides were then picked from an All-Stars tournament in Atlanta last month, with Niu on the ground before being joined by Henry and Skinner this week.
He has already identified Zimbabwe-born Alex Nyamunda as a player scouts will be impressed by, comparing him to a young Mal Meninga or Chris Close.
Is Vegas working to expose more Americans to rugby league? | League Nation
Nyamunda was the NCR's MVP for this season, as was women's star Telesi Uhatafe.
"We've selected a squad we think would be very capable of transferring into a pathways program quickly," Niu said.
"That NRL scouts would look at and say, 'oh that's got my attention'.
"They have been skilled up well here. They played rugby from high school, so they have been holding a rugby ball since age nine or 10."
Niu said he had also had buy in from players, who had spoken of watching rugby league's All Stars and World Club Challenge games in the past fortnight.
The next step for officials is introducing rugby league into the collegiate system, with the NCR fully backing the Vegas project.
"You're going to have people who will say no we're rugby union. And that's fine," USA Rugby League chairman Matt Goschnick said.
"But if we can capture 2-5 per cent of what they've got, you're on your way. That strengthens your pathways.
"If you can get six or eight college teams, you have a pathway for people out of high school into the college teams. And that's where it all comes together."
Jacob Preston on the Bulldogs' Vegas game in 2026
From his dealings with players, Niu is confident the sport can make an impact.
"It's a fairly attractive selling point, when you're partnering with a company like the NRL that is working towards $1 billion in revenue," Niu said.
"There are already established teams and organisations. Some of them are varsity programs. Others are club sports on campus.
"It only takes a few of the conferences around the country to say 'In spring, we'll play some rugby league Nines games.'
"And then it goes from there."
