
Louis Rees-Zammit has had ‘unbelievable' interest from rugby union teams
Rees-Zammit, 24, spent 18 months in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars, but did not feature for either franchise in a regular-season game.
The former Gloucester wing, who made 32 appearances for Wales and toured with the British & Irish Lions in 2021, said he hopes to rekindle his international career.
Rees-Zammit told Sky Sports News: 'I can't name teams, but I've had a load of interest, which is unbelievable. I'm very grateful for that.
'The season starts pretty soon. So it's about finding the right team for me in terms of location, in terms of how quick I've got to get into camp, and because the season's right around the corner, so all of these things that are going to happen, are going to happen pretty sharpish.
'Me and my brother are going through negotiations and seeing teams interested, which is amazing. We should find out in the next week or so.'
Rees-Zammit quit rugby union in January 2024 in order to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL via its International Player Pathway Program.
He signed an active roster deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 2025 season after being part of their practice squad for the previous campaign and travelled to London for the games against the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots in October.
Following his decision to return to the 15-man game, Rees-Zammit has targeted a return for Wales, who he helped to their last Six Nations triumph in 2021.
He added: 'Playing for my country is the pinnacle and it's one that I absolutely love doing.
'I managed to play 32 times for my country in three, four years. I need to find a team. Once we find a team, get into good form and hopefully come Autumn Internationals, see where selection is.
'It's something that I'm really looking forward to and I really want to play for my country again.'
Rees-Zammit's ambition will come as a welcome boost to recently-appointed Wales head coach Steve Tandy, who takes over a side that only ended an 18-match losing streak that lasted almost two years with a hard-fought win over Japan last month.
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