Wales international Louis Rees-Zammit has returned to rugby after trying to make it in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs
Rees-Zammit is set for a positional switch(Image: Jan Kruger, Getty Images)
Louis Rees-Zammit is set for a change in position after returning to rugby from the NFL, with the Wales international wing emerging as a “definite option” for his new coach at full-back.
The 24-year-old, who signed with PREM Rugby side Bristol Bears after leaving the Jacksonville Jaguars and returning to the UK, has donned the No. 15 shirt just seven times in his career. He began three matches at Test level in that position and appeared there in two EPCR Challenge Cup fixtures during his final campaign with Gloucester before leaving rugby to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.
Having now returned to rugby with the Bears, Rees-Zammit has already shown glimpses of the talent he possessed before his stint across the Atlantic, and he will be eager to establish himself as an integral part of Pat Lam’s squad as he gets more game time under his belt.
However, while he looks set to begin the new league season on the wing, the Welshman has surfaced as an option for the full-back role. Bristol’s established full-backs, Rich Lane and Noah Heward, are both still recuperating from injuries, with new signing Tom Jordan taking the No. 15 jersey for their PREM Rugby Cup encounter against Gloucester last weekend.
The Scotland international has made quite the impact since arriving at Ashton Gate this summer, and can operate across the back line, with fly-half and inside and outside centre also possibilities for him. Given Lam’s relatively modest squad size, Jordan might well find himself deployed in an alternative role, creating a vacancy at full-back. As the Bears’ director of rugby explained on Wednesday, that void could potentially be filled by Rees-Zammit as the season progresses.
“He’s definitely an option there,” said Lam. “The big thing with Louis is he gets more running time in his legs; he is getting better every time. But our back three run a lot, and there is a lot of running in our game.
“His number one position is wing, and we’ll give him a fair opportunity to get a lot of time in there. But it’s something that we’ll consider later on down the line as well.”
Following his try-scoring debut in an action-packed first start for the Bears against his former club last weekend, Rees-Zammit is poised to make his first league appearance for his new club on Sunday, as they are visited by Leicester Tigers.
Rees-Zammit made his first rugby start since January 2024(Image: Jan Kruger, Getty Images)
With the 32-cap Wales international in his plans for the season opener, Lam has heaped praise on the Welsh speedster, claiming he is becoming “better and better and better” with each day that passes since returning to rugby.
“He is ready, fit and available,” Lam continued. “I am really proud of him. Every day he has got better and better and better. I know that match-wise, he still has a bit more to come, but where he is now compared to where he was when he first arrived is huge.
“The more he trains, the more he plays, naturally, he is going to get fitter. I believe there is still more to come from him in that sense. The Bears and Louis Rees-Zammit are a match made in heaven because of the way he wants to play and the way that we play. It works really well together.”
Following his first start in a rugby fixture for more than 18 months, Rees-Zammit revealed to The Rugby Pod that he had an “amazing night”, despite facing a hostile reception from the home supporters at Kingsholm after his shock departure from the Cherry and Whites in January last year.
“There were a lot of boos on Friday night, put it that way!” he said. “I was getting a lot of hate from The Shed. But it’s all part of the game. I had an amazing night. I think because I started that game, I obviously came off the bench and against Sale (Sharks), but to start that Gloucester game, it just felt really good and felt like I was really getting back into rugby.
“I had a couple of decent clips and a lot of stuff to work on as well,” he added. “But there’s always going to be a little bit of rust if I’m not playing for 18 months.”