Wales’ Rees-Zammit joins NFL international player pathway،
One of rugby union's brightest stars, Louis Rees-Zammit, has decided to leave the sport and pursue a career in the NFL, joining the league's international player journey, it was announced on Tuesday .
The announcement came just minutes before Wales were to announce their squad for the upcoming Six Nations, of which Rees-Zammit would usually be a key part. But moments before Warren Gatland announced his team, Rees-Zammit announced on his Instagram account that he was retiring from the sport to pursue his NFL dream.
Rees-Zammit, 22, is by far the biggest rugby star to attempt to break into the NFL this route, and he will travel to Florida at the end of the week to join the program.
“Gloucester Rugby has been a big part of my life,” Rees-Zammit said on Instagram. “From my early days at Hartpury College and my first professional rugby contract with Gloucester in 2020, through to my caps for Wales and the Lions; the club has been at the heart of my development as a player, and I am very grateful for their support.
“I will always be very proud of my time at Kingsholm and would like to particularly thank the incredible fans who make the club so special. Also, to my teammates, to [coach] George Skivington and [CEO] Alex Brown, thank you for giving me such special memories and supporting this next step in my career.
“I have had the incredible honor of playing rugby for my country, something which, as a proud Welshman, I have never taken for granted. However, I believe now is the right time for me to realize another career goal playing American football in the U.S. These opportunities don't come around very often.
Rees-Zammit, who played on the wing and at full-back, won 31 Test caps for Wales, scoring 14 tries, and in 2021 was part of the British and Irish Lions tour to Africa South, where he was the youngest to be selected for this tour since 1959. He was one of the deadliest wingers in the Gallagher Premiership with Gloucester, but with his contract at the end of the season he ended his stay there -low, the club agreeing to release him early.
Several other rugby players have tried to break into the NFL. Christian Wade, Alex Gray and Christian Scotland-Williamson have all attempted it. The journey for NFL international players began in 2017, with success stories such as Philadelphia Eagles tackle Jordan Mailata (Australia) and Las Vegas Raiders fullback Jakob Johnson (Germany) making their mark in NFL rosters.
The news will come as a blow to Gloucester, but they have given Rees-Zammit their blessing to try and realize his dream of playing in the NFL.
“We understand the magnitude of the opportunity before Zam and his lifelong ambition to play in the NFL,” said Gloucester CEO Brown. “While we are understandably sad to see him go, ultimately we cannot dissuade him from pursuing an opportunity of this magnitude with the NFL.
“We remain very proud of the role Gloucester Rugby played in helping him become the world-class player he has become, and we wish him the best in the United States. He will always be welcome at Kingsholm.”
