Former rugby league superstar Jarryd Hayne, who is now contracted to the San Francisco 49ers, could feature in the two NFL exhibition matches expected to be played in New Zealand early next year.

New Zealand is set to get its first taste of the NFL early next year, with former rugby league superstar Jarryd Hayne touted as one of the headline acts.

Confirmation is expected this week of two NFL games to be played in New Zealand – one at Eden Park in Auckland and the other at Wellington Regional Stadium.

The double-header will be confirmed at a media conference at Eden Park on Wednesday morning, which will be attended by the US ambassador to New Zealand, Mark Gilbert.

International event management company Douglas Webber Events are behind the venture, and high-profile NFL player agent Jarin Giesler, who is the president and CEO of Giesler Sports World-Wide, will also be at the event.

The ground-breaking concept, which has been nearly four years in the making and is likely to be called the Southern Bowl, will involve six NFL franchises – including the Cowboys, the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals.

Once the final 53-man rosters for the 2015-16 season for those franchises are confirmed in late July, two high-profile coaches will select squads from those players who miss the cut. The coaches will likely announce their squads towards the end of September.

That puts the likes of Hayne, who is thought to be on the verge of making the final cut with the 49ers, and Hamilton's Paul Lasike, who signed with the Cardinals at the start of this month, firmly in the frame to play.

The Cowboys have about 300 players on their books.

Punters can expect a genuinely authentic NFL experience. Ticket prices are yet to be confirmed.

American football is a fringe sport in New Zealand, but the matches are set to be a major coup, especially given just a handful of Kiwis have played in the NFL.

Christchurch-born three-time Super Bowl winning linebacker Riki Ellison was the first to debut in the NFL in 1983, playing for the 49ers and LA Raiders, followed by Minnesota Vikings guard David Dixon in 1992 and Ellison's son Rhett, a tight-end for the Vikings, in 2012.

Auckland-born but Tonga-raised defensive tackle Stephen Paea started his career in 2011, while Hamilton's Paul Lasike, a fullback, signed with the Arizona Cardinals at the start of this month.

The NFL International Series has played 11 regular season games at London's Wembley Stadium since 2007 and there will be another three official matches there in October and November this year.