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Louis Rees-Zammit

Louis Rees-Zammit (/ˈluːɪs/ LOO-iss; born 2 February 2001) is a Welsh professional American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs and a former rugby union player. He played as a winger for Gloucester in the English Premiership. He played for Wales at an international level, scoring 14 tries in 32 caps. Rees-Zammit won the 2021 Six Nations Championship with Wales and he was subsequently named in the squad for the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.

In January 2024, Rees-Zammit began training for the NFL's International Player Pathway Program. In March 2024, he signed with the Chiefs.

Early life

Rees-Zammit was born in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.[1] He attended The Cathedral School, Llandaff, and played rugby for the school.[2] He played youth rugby at the Cardiff Blues academy and was named in the Cardiff Schools Team of the Decade in 2020.[3] At 16 years old, he moved to Hartpury College and from there to the academy of Gloucester Rugby.[4]

Club career

Rees-Zammit broke into the Gloucester senior team in the 2019–20 season, becoming the club's youngest ever Premiership player at 18 years and 70 days.[5] Rees-Zammit would also become Gloucester's youngest European player and youngest European try scorer in 2019. He scored two tries against Worcester during a 36–3 win in December 2019,[6] and later the same month became the first 18-year-old to score a hat-trick of tries[7] during a 33–26 loss to Northampton.[8] He received the Premiership Player of the Month Award in December 2019.[9]

On 13 January 2020, Rees-Zammit signed his first professional contract with Gloucester, securing him to the club on a long-term deal.[10] Rees-Zammit ended his season with 12 tries in 15 appearances for the 2019–20 Premiership side.[11]

He made his first appearance of the 2021–22 Premiership scoring two tries in the Round 4 victory over Sale.[12] By the time he decided to leave the club in January 2024, he had made 77 club appearances scoring 210 points.[13]

International career

Wales

Rees-Zammit initially represented Wales under-18s.[4] He received his first call-up to the senior Wales squad, under coach Wayne Pivac, on 15 January 2020 for the 2020 Six Nations Championship.[14] He made his debut for Wales, from the bench, in a test match against France held at Stade de France in Paris, France, in October 2020.[15][16] Rees-Zammit scored his maiden test try against Georgia on 21 November 2020.[17]

He scored his first 2021 Six Nations Championship try, on his Six Nations debut, in the Round 1 match against Ireland on 7 February 2021.[18] On 13 February 2021, in the Six Nations match against Scotland, he scored two tries, including the winning try, and was named as man of the match.[19][a] Wales went on to win the 2021 championship the next weekend giving Rees-Zammit his first Six Nations Championship. He also won the try of the Championship award.[21]

Rees-Zammit scored 14 tries at international level for Wales, including five at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.[22]

On 6 May 2021, Rees-Zammit was named in the squad for the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.[23] Rees-Zammit's inclusion made him the youngest Lion selected since the 1959 Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand at the age of 20 years and 93 days.[24] Rees-Zammit made his first Lions appearance in the tours opening provincial game against the Lions, scoring the opening try after 3 minutes.[25] Rees-Zammit was then selected to play against the Sharks in the following game, again getting in the scoresheet as the Lions ran out 54–7 winners.[26] Rees-Zammit scored as a replacement in the final provincial game of the tour on 17 July 2021 against the Stormers, taking his tour tally to three tries in four appearances.[27][28]

International tries

American football career

On 16 January 2024, Rees-Zammit announced that he would retire from rugby union to train in American football through the National Football League's International Player Pathway Program.[32]

On 29 March 2024, Rees-Zammit signed a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs to play running back.[33]

Personal life

Rees-Zammit is the nephew of Paul Rees, a former rugby union player who played as a full-back for Cardiff, Pontypool and Wales B.[34] His paternal grandfather emigrated from Malta.[35]

He has dated social media influencer and YouTuber Saffron Barker.[36] In March 2024, Barker announced that the relationship had ended.[37]

Rees-Zammit appeared in season 1 of the Netflix documentary Six Nations: Full Contact.[38]

Notes

  1. ^ On 21 March, in the Round 5 Grand Slam decider, against France, Rees-Zammit had a try disallowed, following analysis by the TMO Wayne Barnes, when the ball was judged to have been grounded on the base of the corner flag.[20]

References

  1. ^ Howell, Andy (16 August 2020). "The Louis Rees-Zammit interview: I definitely want a Wales debut this autumn". WalesOnline. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  2. ^ Thomas, Simon (16 January 2020). "The story of the little boy who grew up to be Welsh rugby's next big thing and the brother who has his back". Wales Online.
  3. ^ Thomas, Alan (14 January 2020). "Another Day, Another Honour For Louis Rees-Zammit". Dai Sport. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Who is Louis Rees_Zammit". 2 April 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  5. ^ "Louis Rees-Zammit becomes Gloucester Rugby's youngest Premiership player". Gloucester Rugby. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  6. ^ Baldock, Andrew (21 December 2019). "Gloucester's teenage sensation Louis Rees-Zammit continues remarkable rise by inspiring win over Worcester". The Independent. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  7. ^ Iles, Robert (28 December 2019). "Rees-Zammit set a new Premiership record in Gloucester loss". Gloucestershire Live. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  8. ^ Abbandonato, Paul (28 December 2019). "Welsh teen ace grabs hat-trick of tries to give Pivac a nudge". Wales Online. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  9. ^ Woolford, Anthony (8 January 2020). "Welsh teen's charity gesture after being named English rugby's player of month". Wales Online. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  10. ^ "LOUIS REES-ZAMMIT EXTENDS HIS CONTRACT AT GLOUCESTER RUGBY". Gloucester Rugby. 13 January 2020. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  11. ^ Halliwell, Mark (27 July 2020). "Gloucester star was 'devastated' not to get a Wales cap in the 2020 Six Nations". Gloucestershire Live. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  12. ^ Rindl, Josef (9 October 2021). "Premiership: Gloucester 33-32 Sale - Cherry and Whites edge thriller over Sharks". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Louis Rees-Zammit - Player statistics - It's rugby". www.itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Six Nations: Wales call up teenager Rees-Zammit and Saracens' Tompkins". BBC Sport. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  15. ^ Thomas, Simon (22 October 2020). "France v Wales team news in full for autumn opener". Wales Online. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  16. ^ Griffiths, Gareth (24 October 2020). "France 38-21 Wales: Antoine Dupont inspires home side in Paris". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  17. ^ "Louis Rees-Zammit gets his first Test try". Rugby World. 21 November 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  18. ^ "Rees-Zammit scores try on Six Nations debut as Wales hold off 14-man Ireland". talkSPORT. 7 February 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  19. ^ English, Tom (13 February 2021). "Scotland 24-25 Wales: Visitors roar to narrow victory at Murrayfield". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  20. ^ Bazeley, Marc (20 March 2021). "France 32-30 Wales: Brice Dulin snatches last-gasp Six Nations win for hosts to deny visitors the Grand Slam". Sky Sports. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  21. ^ Newbury, Jacob (5 April 2021). "Rees-Zammit wins Guinness Six Nations Try of the". Guinness Men's Six Nations. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  22. ^ "Louis Rees-Zammit (Wales)". Rugby World Cup 2023. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  23. ^ "British and Irish Lions 2021: Sam Simmonds in 37-man squad but Billy Vunipola misses out". BBC Sport. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  24. ^ "Rugby-Rees-Zammit becomes youngest Lion in more than 60 years". Reuters. 6 May 2021.
  25. ^ "Louis Rees-Zammit scores four minutes into Lions debut". rugbyworld.com. 3 July 2021.
  26. ^ Mairs, Gavin; Goodwill, Jake (7 July 2021). "Duhan van der Merwe and Josh Adams score hat-tricks as Covid-hit Lions put opponents to the sword". The Telegraph.
  27. ^ British and Irish Lions (2021). "Louis Rees-Zammit (B&I Lions)". lionsrugby.com.
  28. ^ Grey, Becky (17 July 2021). "Stormers 3-49 British and Irish Lions: Tourists complete Test preparations with comfortable win". BBC.com. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  29. ^ "Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit takes center stage at NFL's international player pro day". NFL.com. Associated Press. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  30. ^ Baker, Matt (20 March 2024). "Why former Wales rugby prodigy Louis Rees-Zammit chased NFL dream at USF". TampaBay.com. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  31. ^ James, Dylan (20 March 2024). "Louis Rees-Zammit's NFL Pro Day trial results in front of scouts". WalesOnline.co.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  32. ^ Hurcom, Sophie; Pilnick, Brent (16 January 2024). "Louis Rees-Zammit: Wales and Gloucester winger to quit rugby to play American football". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  33. ^ Lenthang, Marlene; Smith, Alexander (29 March 2024). "Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit turns to NFL and signs with Kansas City Chiefs". NBC News. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  34. ^ "Another Day, Another Honour For Louis Rees-Zammit". Dai Sport. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  35. ^ Azzopardi, Jean Paul (23 February 2020). "Rees-Lightning! Wales' Rising Rugby Star Is A 19-Year-Old Kid With Maltese Blood". Lovin Malta. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  36. ^ "Louis Rees-Zammit dating social media influencer and Strictly contestant". Wales Online. 11 November 2023.
  37. ^ Jones, John (21 March 2024). "Louis Rees-Zammit officially splits with Saffron Barker as statement issued". Wales Online. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  38. ^ Wellens, Megan (29 January 2024). "Full Contact: Six storylines to follow from the Netflix series at the 2024 Six Nations". Sky Sports. Retrieved 27 May 2024.

External links

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