Sunday 15 May 2016 19:13, UK
Jarryd Hayne is giving up his NFL career in a bid to represent Fiji in the Olympic Games Rugby Sevens tournament.
Hayne was a successful rugby league player in Australia, winning 12 Test caps, before making a move to the United States and joining the San Francisco 49ers as a running back and special teams player.
But the 28-year-old could not force himself into a regular role last season, gaining 52 yards on 17 carries, making six catches and returning eight punts in his eight games. He started one game in the absence of injured starter Carlos Hyde.
"The support and understanding from the 49ers organisation was unbelievable when I let them know about my decision to pursue another dream," said Hayne, whose father is Fijian.
"The past 12 months with the San Francisco 49ers have been absolutely incredible. I could not have predicted how far I have come as an NFL player.
"To not only be able to play in a game, but also say that I started a game in the NFL is something that I will remember for a lifetime.
"I am retiring from the NFL because the Fiji Rugby Sevens team reached out to me about the opportunity to join the team for the upcoming Olympics, and I simply could not pass that chance up.
"The Olympics has been something I have admired since I was a little boy, and it is an opportunity I feel very similar to me joining the NFL."
