The Welsh international, known for his aggressive speed and innate try-scoring ability, has officially returned to rugby after a failed stint in the NFL.
24 year old Louis Rees-Zammit confirmed his move to the Bristol Bears with immediate effect yesterday, after announcing his return to his roots from across the pond at the end of July, back to “doing what I do best”.
Who is Louis Rees-Zammit
Rees Zammit caught the attention of the rugby community right from the beginning of his career, as an inspired and devastatingly quick winger renowned for his ability to score jaw dropping tries late in the day - earning him the nickname ‘Rees Lightning’.
The Welsh national began his professional career at Gloucester Rugby, with his first senior appearance against Bath at just 18 years old and 70 days making him the youngest Gloucester player ever.
Rees-Zammit’s high profile career continued as he became the club’s youngest European player and European goal scorer during the Champions Cup campaign in his debut season. His position as one of the next rugby greats was cemented when he won Gloucester’s Young Player of the Year award at the end of the 2019/20 season.
During his stint at Gloucester, he scored an impressive 42 tries across 77 appearances.
Louis Rees-Zammit international career
Rees-Zammit is more than comfortable donning a red jersey, both for his international team Wales and as a tourist with the British and Irish Lions.
He was just 20 years old when he earnt his first cap for Wales against France, going on to further establish his dominance in the 2021 Guinness Men’s Six Nations, where he scored the Try of the Championship during his performance against Scotland.
Rees-Zammit currently holds 32 caps and 14 tries for Wales, representing them in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Guinness Men’s Six Nations, and the 2023 Men’s Rugby World Cup, scoring five tries during their campaign that lasted until the semi-finals.
The Welsh international ventured even further afield when he was called up as part of the squad for the 2021 British and Irish Lions’ tour of South Africa, making him the youngest Lion since 1959. He debuted in the tour’s opener and went on to score three tries over his four appearances.
Why did he leave rugby?
In January 2024, Louis Rees-Zammit hit the headlines as he announced that he was moving across the pond to pursue a career in the NFL, a lifelong aspiration of his.
Through the NFL International Player Pathway (IPP), he earnt a place at the Kansas City Chiefs as a running back, before transferring to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
However, Rees-Zammit was unable to move out of training and pre-season squads into the starting line-up, and announced his return to rugby after 18 months in the USA.
Why did he choose the Bristol Bears?
Rees-Zammit has confirmed that he is returning to the South-West rugby scene, as he signed with the Bristol Bears, who under director of rugby Pat Lam recently reached the semi-finals of the 2024/25 Gallagher Premiership.
The Bears have described Rees-Zammit as a “world class player” whose “goals align perfectly with our ambitions as a club”.
During his media interviews about his next step, the new Bear highlighted the role that the fan base and the club’s efforts to grow the game played in his decision, saying that “I want to get fans out of their seats, create exciting moments and help people fall in the love with the game”.
With the Premiership starting for Bristol on September 13 against Sale, Louis Rees-Zammit represents an exciting edition to the wing and back three, especially as his size and speed has reportedly improved significantly during his time in the NFL set-up.
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