Raiders sign rugby standout as part of NFL’s international program
The Raiders made a big signing Wednesday by adding defensive lineman Laki Tasi to the roster.
Literally.
Tasi, listed at 6-foot-6, 348 pounds, is a massive athlete who played professional rugby before entering the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.
The 21-year-old Australia native will now get the chance to sharpen his football skills with the Raiders, who will receive a roster exemption to develop Tasi.
Tasi was born in Samoa before moving to Brisbrane, where he played for Ashgrove GPS in the Queensland Premier Rugby Union.
“(He) has played at the highest levels of rugby in Australia, picking up the sport in his early teens and eventually playing in the rugby league and rugby union,” former NFL executive Scott Pioli wrote in March after watching Tasi at an IPP pro day. “At 6-6, 348 pounds with 34-inch arms, Tasi has very good size and the tools to be a big interior defensive lineman, along with the toughness and makeup to play in the trenches. He possesses a strong and intriguing combination of developmental tools, stature and mindset.”
Rugby stars have transitioned to the NFL before, with the most notable example being Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata.
Tasi, in an interview with ESPN last week, said he was unfamiliar with the NFL until a local burger joint owner told him the story of the Philadelphia star. Tasi then watched some YouTube videos and started to understand the opportunity the NFL could provide. He entered the league’s academy last year in Gold Coast, Queensland.
The Raiders released David Agoha, a Nigerian defensive lineman who had been on their roster as part of the IPP since 2023, in a corresponding move.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.