Yes, former 49ers running back Jarryd Hayne has given up football for a shot at playing rugby for Fiji in the Olympics. No, it’s not a given Hayne will be on the team.
Apart from the fact that the coach won’t guarantee Hayne a roster spot, the World Anti-Doping Agency may not accept Hayne because of the NFL’s drug-testing program.
Via the Sydney Morning Herald, former Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency chief Richard Ings pointed out on Twitter that Hayne (and all Olympic athletes) must be in a WADA-compliant drug-testing pool for at least six months before the games. Ings specifically opined that Hayne has “no chance” of playing for Fiji in the Olympics.
Maybe, then, this is simply Hayne’s way of bowing out gracefully from the NFL, knowing deep down that he simply was never going to cement a spot on San Francisco’s 53-man roster.
