Rugby player signs with Raiders to begin football career

The Las Vegas Raiders are not done trying to unearth potential gems.

On Wednesday, the team announced that they have signed defensive lineman Laki Tasi via the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program (IPP).

Born in Samoa, the 21-year-old Tasi has spent most of his life in Brisbane, Australia. The six-foot-six, 348-pound behemoth played rugby for the Ashgrove GPS Rugby Club before joining the NFL Academy in 2024. He stood out on the defensive line, and the Raiders now hope to take a chance on him.

If all works out, Tasi could end up being the defensive equivalent to a fellow Aussie and rugby-turned-football star in Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata.

Tasi does join a deep defensive line of the Raiders, however, so finding a roster spot early on could prove difficult. The IPP does allows the Raiders to create an exception for him on their 90-man roster, though, and he would not count towards one of their practice squad allotments should the team choose to stash him there. It gives Tasi a leg up on other players, as the team does not have to worry about whether or not a slot is better used elsewhere.

If the Raiders succeed in developing Tasi into a force on their defensive line, that will go a long way towards making them even more difficult to play against.