A feel good story has emerged from the wake of the NRFL cancellations this Summer. Often overlooked in the fallout from the cancelled matches was that there were 60 men preparing to compete and train for a spot on the team’s roster. Those players came from all avenues… rugby players and crossover athletes alike. Regardless of their backgrounds, all of them were training hard with that game and the future in mind.

One such player was Taylor Gentry, a former football player at North Carolina State University, who had taken up rugby a little over three years ago. Gentry was one of the original attendees at the 2014 NRFL Combine in Minnesota and was targeted to be one of the players that would play in the Independence Cup. Gentry had put his life on hold to train and prepare for the match and the opportunity.

“I put in a lot of work preparing and it was disappointing when the game was cancelled,” said Gentry. “I was about to go back to work when I got the call.”

That being a call from the Sharks in South Africa. After the cancellation of the Independence Cup, NRFL organizers sent out feelers far and wide hoping to get players on the roster another opportunity to play professional rugby.

“We have been having conversations with clubs around the world,” said NRFL representative Shawn Zobel. “There are places in the world that don’t have the same visa restrictions as Europe and we’ve spent the last few weeks in conversations with clubs around the world.”

“My priority right now is getting opportunities for guys that we were going to bring into camp.”

The Sharks showed immediate interest in Gentry, who had mostly played prop in his rugby career. Gentry will get an opportunity to compete for playing time on the Sharks’ Currie Cup side.

Gentry has been signed to a three-month contract and departed his home in North Carolina this morning. His first stop was the South African Consulate in New York to get his work visa. Tomorrow he’ll make the long flight overseas to Dubai and then onto Durban. Gentry leaves the USA with the knowledge that if he performs well, he could be offered a full time contract.

Gentry is set to be looked at as a prop and possibly at flanker. The total rugby immersion should provide valuable experience for the 6’2″ 245lb, 25 year old who played briefly for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs after he finished his collegiate career. After leaving football, he took up rugby and it has led him to this point.

“Hopefully it all pays off,” added Gentry. “I’ve been playing a few years now, to the point where its time for me to take a shot and see if I can hang at a higher level.”

The NRFL is hoping to place a handful of other players in the upcoming weeks. Southern Hemisphere nations like South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia appear to be the their primary target for players that would otherwise have trouble finding opportunities in Europe. Japan has also expressed interest in players.

“We hope that Taylor is the tip of the spear so to speak,” added Zobel. “We have a handful of players that are very close to signing deals.”