To be a professional

[Kacz]

Hi,

I'm from Brazil, 23 years old and play rugby for only one year and a half. I've always played sports during my childhood and teenage (basketball, handball and parkour).
The question is, do anyone think it's is possible to me became a professional in other country? Even in the minor leagues and even as a semi-professional.

Thanks

 

[norcalbuff]

Dan Lyle, one of the best US players of all time, played professionally (and did quite well) after taking up rugby at age 23. But you would have to be a very good athlete and it's only possible in certain positions like the back row. There is zero chance of someone taking up rugby in their 20s and becoming good enough at a position like flyhalf to play professionally as both the range of skills you need and the instincts/ability to read the game you need have to be developed from a young age.

 

[Kacz]

Well, at least it's a little spark o hope
Now I play as first centre, but I can play as flanker or 8 without problems.

How are the leagues in USA? Are they already professional or still all amateur??

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

In countries in which rugby is still amateur, your best hope is making the national team, or at least piquing their interest, as that'd increase the chances that overseas clubs would be interested. Cyprus' outside half plays semi-pro in the Welsh second division, (The first division is almost a second tier anyway, behind the Pro12 clubs) and I've seen members of the lower-ranked nations peppering the lower-league pages in Rugby World, so there's certainly hope, but I don't know how realistic it is.

Obviously, I don't know how reliable this information/advice this all is, as I've never been anywhere near professional level myself (For some level of context, I played in the second XV of an English Championship teams' junior set-up until 17, but only two of us ever made the step-up to the full academy, and one of which was released by Leicester Tigers' youth set-up at the end of the season, so it's pretty tight in England. The majority had played a good three years or up).