"Poster boy" - Louis Rees-Zammit backed by Wales legend for Test comeback as rugby return confirmed

The 24-year-old quit rugby in quite the dramatic circumstances, as former Wales head coach Warren Gatland was set to name the wing in his 2024 Guinness Six Nations squad prior to getting the call from Rees-Zammit. After graduating the NFL's International Player Pathway Programme, Rees-Zammit specialised as a running-back and wide receiver, and was signed to by the Kansas City Chiefs' pre-season practice squad.

However, the unrelenting competition out in the USA through a spiral into Rees-Zammit's plans. The former British & Irish Lion was released by the Chiefs, before getting picked up by Jacksonville Jaguars. However, Rees-Zammit never featured on the pitch in a NFL match, with the Welshman now back in rugby union with the likes of Gloucester, Bristol Bears and the breakaway rebel league 'R360' chasing Rees-Zammit's signature ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Former Wales centre Jonathan 'Fox' Davies, who starred for his country from 2009 to 2022, was excited to learn of Rees-Zammit's rugby return. With 102 Test caps, including six with the British & Irish Lions, Davies backs Rees-Zammit to once again become the 'poster boy' of Welsh rugby and lead the WRU in this new era, under newly appointed head coach Steve Tandy.

When he left Louis was the poster boy of Welsh Rugby." Davies said to . "He was the main attraction and when he left a lot of people were gutted. For us as a nation, and having such a small player pool, we want and need as much talent as we can back in Wales.

“I think it's a great opportunity for us and rugby to have one of the stars back in the sport. It's going to take some time obviously to get back up and running, but what he does possess is some of a huge amount of talent. And he can be that poster boy again!”

The vacancy Rees-Zammit left upon the Gloucester wing was filled by Christian Wade, as the Cherry and Whites signed the one-capped England man from Racing 92. However, what made this all the more unique, was how Christian Wade had also tried to pursue the NFL dream, with a few seasons under his belt in the Buffalo Bills squad.

“When he [Rees-Zammit] made his decision to go [to the NFL], I thought, credit to him for taking a huge risk." Davies said. "It would have been easy for him to stay where he was because he probably knew he was going to be successful in rugby and no doubt be signed by a big club for a lot of money.

“But he took a chance which could have changed his life completely. It was a big call and you're obviously aware that the chances of him making the team were very slim. I follow the NFL, I'm a big fan of it and I knew his chances were extremely slim to get on a 53-man team. He knew in the back of his mind that he always had this option to come back here.”

Whist both rugby union and American football are sports full of pace, power and athleticism, there is an abundance of differences between the pride and joy from either side of the Atlantic. Rees-Zammit had only a matter of months before the initial NFL draft, with the Welshman praised for his quick adaptation, to learn the new rules and convoluted playbooks whilst 'playing offense'.

Davies expressed how the speedster found the change tougher than first expected, with 'Fox' recalling an interaction he had with Rees-Zammit during the former Wales stars' stint overseas.

“I did see him during his time there and he said he was enjoying it, and it was amazing he was enjoying it. The lifestyle was great. I think he may have found adapting harder than he thought because of the way the game is run, the number of plays that you have to learn. It's a huge, huge ask. I remember Christian Wade saying it was like learning the London telephone directory!

“But real credit to him, he gave it a go. He is still only 24. So potentially he has 10 years of rugby left in him. I would have said it was probably the right move for him to come back because you don't see many making the transition to the NFL, especially in his specific position of wide receivers. But he gave it a crack.

“He can’t be judged a failure. He could have stayed in rugby these last couple of years and played international rugby, signed a new contract, probably for a lot of money. And he went for something to try his hand at something he’d always wanted to. It takes a strong man to understand what's the next step in his career. It's a wise decision to come back to rugby really, because before he went, he was one of the best players around in his position.

"Like I said, the adjustment back to rugby will take a bit of time. But I'm sure he’ll be in huge demand. I'm sure his phone's been very busy these last few hours."

Davies doubled-down on his high expectations of Rees-Zammit, with the former Welsh international backing the returning star to become a stalwart leader of the Wales squad.

“He's gone away and lived abroad and experienced something totally new that no one in rugby has. Coming back into rugby, you like to think he has that maturity now of being well-travelled and experienced. There'll be a lot of responsibility on him and there'll be a lot of pressure on him as well now. I think people will expect him to come back and play at the level he was playing.

“For me it's, he'll be expected, one to perform, and two to become a leader as well of the group if he is in the Welsh squad.”

Where Rees-Zanmmit will move to at club level is yet to be known, however the West Country is shaping back up to be a likely home for the former Gloucester star. The Cherry and Whites reportedly have first notice to re-sign their wing, yet Bath and Bristol Bears have also been floated into the mix as 'Rees-Lightning' prepares to scorch the Premiership touchlines once again.

“He might have maybe six games before the Autumn Internationals. As long as he plays and he shows that he's finding his rhythm again, I think he will be back in the Wales squad sooner rather than later. But it will not be straightforward. You look at the youngsters coming through and the experience of someone like Josh Adams. There’s Tommy Rogers, Blair Murray who has been outstanding this year.

“Back three is an area of strength for Welsh rugby. So he's going to have to show that he can compete at that level again. Knowing what Steve is like, he's not just going to pick him because he is Louis Rees Zammit. Louis needs to understand that and deliver on the field. That's the challenge that lies ahead of him now.

"Whatever he's done in the last couple of years I'm sure it's been good for him, but rugby is a different game. He will have respect, and people will know what he's about. He’ll probably have a bit of a target on his back as well.

“I don't see a Welsh region being able to sign him. He'll have a high wage demand and the market itself will dictate his price. If you have teams like Bristol and teams in France looking to sign him instantly Welsh regions are blown out of the water.

“He has more than 20 caps, so it doesn’t matter where he plays in terms of section for Wales. He was pretty comfortable at the time when he was playing at Gloucester coming back into the Welsh camp. He'll have to make a decision as to what is right for him and where he feels that he'd be able to have the biggest impact on the field.

“There is a balance between going to a French team for a lot of money and not getting the quality of play he would need. You want to be playing Champions Cup rugby. You want to be playing for the big competitions. That should be the driver for him, not just financial gain. For me, you see the character of players that decide to go to a club that's competitive and they want to add to that environment.

“If I was Louis, that would be what I would be looking for. Somewhere where I could be challenged and add value to that environment. Bristol is a good one with the way they play. They would try and get them on the ball a lot Bath would no doubt be in the market. Obviously they're champions and have an extremely talented squad.

“Then you're looking at the French teams, would a Toulon want to come in for him or would a Racing? Sometimes as we’ve seen it doesn't always end that well as we have seen with Owen Farrell. Some players do struggle. It has to be a mixture of the two things. One, you’ve got to look after yourself financially, but two, there has to be the challenge, and the level of competition and drive you want in your decision as well.”