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Simon Zebo hosts NFL star at training in Paris

Simon Zebo had no hesitation inviting an NFL star along to train at Racing 92 in Paris (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Racing 92 and former Ireland international Simon Zebo’s pre-season training started with a bang this week as he bizarrely managed to host a training session for NFL American football star Antonio Brown.

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The 31-year-old Oakland Raiders wide receiver sent out a message on Twitter looking for somewhere to train in Paris and Zebo swiftly replied, inviting him to Racing’s training ground. 

Zebo, who moved to France last summer after honing his reputation at Munster, then set up a midnight practice session for Brown, even challenging him to a “one on one” contest at the Parisian club’s Le Plessis Robinson training complex.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers player, who is described as the highest-paid receiver in the NFL since his March 2019 switch to Oakland, can be seen in a video doing a number of drills, largely based on speed and agility, but with a rugby ball. 

Unfortunately, we do not see the two players go head-to-head at any point to test which one has the better feet. Zebo, the 35-cap former Ireland flier, even signed a shirt for Brown after this strange encounter. 

Racing’s pre-season only started this week, so it will still be a few weeks before we see if anything rubbed off on the winger from this training session with NFL royalty. 

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It was March when the Steelers agreed to trade Brown to the Raiders in exchange for a third and a fifth-round selection in the 2019 NFL draft. That deal became official on March 13. 

Brown followed up his midnight visit to Racing 92 by visiting PSG’s football ground at Parc des Princes on Wednesday to celebrate his 31st birthday ahead of his return for a first season in California where the Raiders’ pre-season preparations will be filmed by the Hard Knocks series.

WATCH: The interview Simon Zebo did on RugbyPass with Jim Hamilton

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Hellhound 38 minutes ago
Scotland's Gregor Townsend confirms Tom Jordan Glasgow exit

NZ lost a great player there. Played brilliantly for Glasgow and against SA was the best player on the pitch. Caused the Boks some headaches. Slot him into the current AB's team, and they would be very dangerous, especially broken play.


However, the Scots isn't stupid and their recruiting from the SH countries is starting to pay off. They don't have the player pool the SH countries have, nor that of their neighbours even.


I applaud them for being so open-minded as giving those players who have loyally played their rugby in Scotland for years a chance. SA for one have such a vast pool of players that's so talented and could be world class given the smallest chance, but will never get a look in because there is just so many stars in the country.


I don't mind that Saffas play for other countries to further their own careers. Besides, it makes Scotland better and makes for one more team to step up to the big stage and make rugby more exciting than just the top 4 that usually wins.


Scotland may have lost by 17 against a rusty Bok "B" team, but that score is not a true indication of that match. The Scottish biggest mistakes was kicking at goal the entire time, instead of going for the jugular. If they tried to go for tries, they may have been stopped and the score might have been bigger, but the game was on such a knife edge, that if they did go for it, they might have scored a couple of tries or more and we very well might have seen a Scottish upset.


It was by no means a bad effort at all. Tom Jordan is one of their best new talents coming through. He should've stayed with Glasgow. What a loss for the URC Champs. Going to Loftus and getting one over the Bulls is something that not even the so called best team in club rugby could do. Leinster keeps losing at Loftus. For Glasgow to do that in a Final was phenomenal and Tom Jordan was no small part of that feat.


Rugby is truely becoming a global sport now, where the eligibility rules is making rugby a much smaller world, but a much bigger global game. The Scots is most likely the team with the most aliens in their team. They welcome players with open arms. I applaud that. They are a sleeping giant, and if they continue playing like they did against the Boks, despite the results, they will become a real threat for 2027.


I admired how they played. They impressed everyone. I say good on them. Results will come if they continue on their upward trajectory. I wish them and Tom Jordan all the luck they deserve.

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