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NRL Las Vegas Combine 2025: Nine aspiring rugby league stars chosen from North and South America
Nine aspiring rugby league players from North and South America have been selected to compete in the 2025 Vegas combine, including a Canadian rugby star who has already caught the attention of NRL clubs.
Dean Ritchie
Dean Ritchie
@BulldogRitchie
2 min read
November 29, 2024 - 5:00AM
News Sport Network
NRL: Jason Ryles continues to bolster the new-look parramatta Eels side, re-signing two young guns.
Aspiring rugby league players from America, Mexico, Canada, Jamaica and Colombia have created history by being named in the first intake of the NRL’s 2025 Las Vegas combine.
Nine players – six men and three women - were approved to compete in the combine with a further 41 male and female players to be added before the Vegas extravaganza next March.
NRL clubs have already expressed curiosity in Canadian rugby centre and combine entrant Marcus D’Acre, who stands 198 cm and weighs nearly 100 kgs.
Canadian Marcus D'Acre has already caught the eye of NRL clubs. Picture: Queen's University Athletics, Instagram
Canadian Marcus D'Acre has already caught the eye of NRL clubs. Picture: Queen's University Athletics, Instagram
Four players - two men, two women - who meet minimum standard performances will be chosen from the combine by the NRL to travel to Australia and train for up to a fortnight with an elite rugby league team.
Athletes will need to “display the potential to play in the NRL.”
The UFC will help with the vetting process by overseeing physical and strength testing at the UFC’s Las Vegas Performance Institute.
US-based talent scouts - including former NRL player David Niu and ex-US rugby 7s women’s Olympic coach Chris Brown – have been connecting prospective athletes with the NRL.
The nine athletes already chosen for the combine are:
• Jack Rampton (Jamaican men’s rugby 7’s international).
• Cody Nhanala (Canadian men’s rugby 7’s international)
• Adam Channel (USA men’s rugby 7’s international)
• Marcus D’Acre (Canadian men’s under 20s and Hong Kong 7’s international)
• Gus Sokol (American men’s professional rugby 10s player)
• Renee Gonzalez (Canadian women’s 7’s and 15’s international)
• Maria Pruijn (Mexican women’s 7’s international)
• Maria Isabel Arzuaga Gonzalez (Colombian women’s 7s international)
• Adriaan Jacques Rabe (American men’s professional rugby 10’s player)
Jack Rampton of Jamaica in the Rugby World Cup Sevens Quarter Finals match against Tonga in 2022. Picture: Getty Images
Jack Rampton of Jamaica in the Rugby World Cup Sevens Quarter Finals match against Tonga in 2022. Picture: Getty Images
All players will be evaluated for potential talent and tested in speed, agility and strength.
Players will also be tested for neck and groin strength, leaping, sprints, kicking, catching, evasions, passing and tackling.
D’Acre has impressive speed while Channel, who comes from Long Beach, Los Angeles, has represented Belmont Shores rugby before selection in the USA rugby south side.
Canadian Gonzalez competed in rugby at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Arzuaga is a Columbian now living in California who competed at the 2022 Rugby Sevens World Cup.
Canadian rugby player Renee Gonzalez. Pic: Instagram
International athletes wanting to pursue rugby league are encouraged to log their interest. Ultimately, 25 men and women will enter the combine.
This year’s combine winners were Megan Pakulis, MarCaya Bailous, Kristopher Leach and Michael Woolridge, who signed with the Roosters but never travelled to Australia due to personal reasons. Pakulis and Bailous came to Australia and competed in the women’s national championships. Pakulis eventually played for York in England.
The NRL’s second venture to Vegas will see Cronulla play Penrith and the Warriors confront Canberra at Allegiant Stadium.
NRL
subscriber-breach-pixel
NRL Las Vegas Combine 2025: Nine aspiring rugby league stars chosen from North and South America
Nine aspiring rugby league players from North and South America have been selected to compete in the 2025 Vegas combine, including a Canadian rugby star who has already caught the attention of NRL clubs.
Dean Ritchie
Dean Ritchie
@BulldogRitchie
2 min read
November 29, 2024 - 5:00AM
News Sport Network
NRL: Jason Ryles continues to bolster the new-look parramatta Eels side, re-signing two young guns.
Aspiring rugby league players from America, Mexico, Canada, Jamaica and Colombia have created history by being named in the first intake of the NRL’s 2025 Las Vegas combine.
Nine players – six men and three women - were approved to compete in the combine with a further 41 male and female players to be added before the Vegas extravaganza next March.
NRL clubs have already expressed curiosity in Canadian rugby centre and combine entrant Marcus D’Acre, who stands 198 cm and weighs nearly 100 kgs.
Canadian Marcus D'Acre has already caught the eye of NRL clubs. Picture: Queen's University Athletics, Instagram
Canadian Marcus D'Acre has already caught the eye of NRL clubs. Picture: Queen's University Athletics, Instagram
Four players - two men, two women - who meet minimum standard performances will be chosen from the combine by the NRL to travel to Australia and train for up to a fortnight with an elite rugby league team.
Athletes will need to “display the potential to play in the NRL.”
The UFC will help with the vetting process by overseeing physical and strength testing at the UFC’s Las Vegas Performance Institute.
US-based talent scouts - including former NRL player David Niu and ex-US rugby 7s women’s Olympic coach Chris Brown – have been connecting prospective athletes with the NRL.
The nine athletes already chosen for the combine are:
• Jack Rampton (Jamaican men’s rugby 7’s international).
• Cody Nhanala (Canadian men’s rugby 7’s international)
• Adam Channel (USA men’s rugby 7’s international)
• Marcus D’Acre (Canadian men’s under 20s and Hong Kong 7’s international)
• Gus Sokol (American men’s professional rugby 10s player)
• Renee Gonzalez (Canadian women’s 7’s and 15’s international)
• Maria Pruijn (Mexican women’s 7’s international)
• Maria Isabel Arzuaga Gonzalez (Colombian women’s 7s international)
• Adriaan Jacques Rabe (American men’s professional rugby 10’s player)
Jack Rampton of Jamaica in the Rugby World Cup Sevens Quarter Finals match against Tonga in 2022. Picture: Getty Images
Jack Rampton of Jamaica in the Rugby World Cup Sevens Quarter Finals match against Tonga in 2022. Picture: Getty Images
All players will be evaluated for potential talent and tested in speed, agility and strength.
Players will also be tested for neck and groin strength, leaping, sprints, kicking, catching, evasions, passing and tackling.
D’Acre has impressive speed while Channel, who comes from Long Beach, Los Angeles, has represented Belmont Shores rugby before selection in the USA rugby south side.
Canadian Gonzalez competed in rugby at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Arzuaga is a Columbian now living in California who competed at the 2022 Rugby Sevens World Cup.
Canadian rugby player Renee Gonzalez. Pic: Instagram
International athletes wanting to pursue rugby league are encouraged to log their interest. Ultimately, 25 men and women will enter the combine.
This year’s combine winners were Megan Pakulis, MarCaya Bailous, Kristopher Leach and Michael Woolridge, who signed with the Roosters but never travelled to Australia due to personal reasons. Pakulis and Bailous came to Australia and competed in the women’s national championships. Pakulis eventually played for York in England.
The NRL’s second venture to Vegas will see Cronulla play Penrith and the Warriors confront Canberra at Allegiant Stadium.
