NRL star Tyrell May has explained why he thinks the NRL hasn't been able to attract African-Australians to rugby league as the code lags behind the AFL in that area.
Wests Tigers prop May had Daniel Olaniran, known online as the internet's favourite 'failed footballer' turned content creator, on his MayDay podcast as they tackled the subject. The pair discussed the lack of NRL players of African heritage, with May saying they could dominate the game just like stars with Pacific Island backgrounds.
'I grew up around a lot of Africans [in the Blacktown region]. They all play basketball and soccer,' May told Olaniran, who is of African descent. 'You tell them to come and play footy and they're like, "Nah, nah, nah, I'm not doing that". They always go, "I'm too smart, I'm not doing that".'
'If they really took footy serious, they're on the same level as the Pacific Islanders. Look at their genetics.'
The NRL is a highly multicultural sport in Australia and New Zealand, with 45 per cent of players having Pasifika/Maori heritage. However, the AFL has outdone its rival as representation in the code increased during the past decade, driven by recruitment from South Sudanese and other African-Australian communities. There's an average of about one player of African heritage per AFL club as of March this year, including Aliir Aliir (Port Adelaide), Changkuoth Jiath (Melbourne), Mabior Chol (Hawthorn) and Leek Aleer (GWS). Majak Daw was a trailblazer, with his success sparking a rise in popularity and recruitment from the South Sudanese community.
Olaniran told May that NRL clubs should actively pursue players of African heritage, saying the game is missing a trick. 'If they were playing footy they'd be on the same level as the [Pacific] Islanders because of our physique and stature,' he said. Olaniran felt that the brutal nature of rugby league with its high-impact collisions would be off-putting for parents. 'If I grew up in Australia and I wanted to play footy, my parents would be like, "You're not playing that one",' he said. 'You'll have brain damage, you are not playing that one.'
Many commenters pointed to the fact that the South African rugby union team has always been one of the best in the world and that the NRL clubs should be watching their athletes more closely. 'If they can play rugby union surely they can play league. Look at the South Africans, they're a beast,' one person said. 'The NRL should invest in South Africa rugby league. So many of the young generation in SA watch the NRL,' another said.
As of August 2025, the NRL has seen the debut of at least four African-born players in the modern era. Marly Bitungane was a Cowboys rookie born in Tanzania, with family heritage from Burundi. Manly winger Jason Saab has a mixed cultural background that includes Nigerian and Indigenous Australian heritage. Jake Averillo is a Dolphins outside back who has Zimbabwean heritage through his grandfather, and former State of Origin player Moses Mbye also has African heritage. Despite the rise of African-Australian stars, only about 14 per cent of AFL players are considered multicultural because they have a parent who was born overseas, which is lower than the NRL's 51 per cent.
