
Jarryd Hayne is swapping the NFL for rugby sevens after being contacted by Fiji ahead of the Olympics.

The Australian played one season of American football, featuring in eight games for the San Francisco 49ers as a running back.

He made his name in rugby league, playing 176 games for Parramatta Eels in the NRL competition.

Born in Sydney to an Australian mother and Fijian father, Hayne played for New South Wales in the prestigious State of Origin series against Queensland.

Hayne helped the Kangaroos win the 2013 Rugby League World Cup -- here he is in action against Fiji in the semifinals.

Four years earlier, Hayne was on the losing team as Fiji was beaten by Australia in the World Cup semifinals in Sydney.

A keen Liverpool FC fan, Hayne shows his soccer skills before an exhibition match in Sydney on January 7, 2016.

Hayne joined up with Fiji's squad ahead of the London Sevens, and is hoping to win a place in the series-leading team's 12-man selection for Rio 2016.