NFL star dabbles in rugby

American footballer Dhani Jones has made his rugby debut as part of a travel series being filmed in Great Britain.

American footballer Dhani Jones has made his rugby debut as part of a travel series being filmed in Great Britain.

The Cincinnati Bengals linebacker turned out for Blackheath Rugby Club in their 61-15 EDF Cup defeat to Launceston last weekend. Jones' appearance, in the last ten minutes of the game, allowed him to experience one of the UK's top sports.

Before the game Jones was privy to some expert inside knowledge, accompanying former England and British and Irish Lions stars Martin Johnson and Austin Healy to Welford Road to watch Leicester v Newcastle in the Guinness Premiership.

Speaking before the game Blackheath coach Harvey Biljon was only too happy to give Jones some game time, although he was a little worried at the NFL stars knowledge of the rules when giving the OK.

“Our players thought it would be fantastic to have a full-time athlete from a top American sport testing himself among our amateurs,” Biljon told Telegraph.co.uk

“We just have to make sure that when he hits someone it is an opponent who has got the ball and that he's not running an illegal blocking move!”