Bristol Bears seal deal for ‘world-class' Louis Rees-Zammit after return to rugby
Rees-Zammit announced last month that he would be ending his attempt to make it in America, exiting his contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars having failed to appear in a regular season game.
The 24-year-old is understood to have attracted significant interest despite many sides in Europe having already set their squads for next season, but Bristol have won the race to secure his signature in a move that makes sense for both player and club.
The proximity to his native Cardiff should make a possible return to the Wales set-up more straightforward for Rees-Zammit, who should thrive in the expansive gameplan favoured by Bristol coach Pat Lam.
The Bears have lost wings Max Malins, Siva Naulago and Deago Bailey this summer and have slimmed down their squad significantly over the last couple of years.
'Bristol Bears was the obvious choice for me,' Rees-Zammit said after confirming a comeback to Prem Rugby. 'The style of rugby the team play – all about entertaining the fans and growing the game – perfectly aligns to how I want to play and how I express myself on and off the field.
'I want to get fans out of their seats, create exciting moments and help people fall in the love with the game.'
Rees-Zammit is thought to have been a key target for the proposed breakaway R360 league due to launch next year, for which more than 100 players are understood to have signed pre-contract agreements, once his return to rugby had been announced. The length of his Bristol deal has not been disclosed.
The flying wing, who can also play at full-back and last represented Gloucester, scored 14 tries in 32 Wales caps and toured with the British and Irish Lions to South Africa before pursuing his NFL dream at the start of 2024.
New Wales head coach Steve Tandy suggested after being unveiled last week that he would be open to the prospect of an immediate return to the international fold for a player still young in his career.
'You wouldn't rule anything out,' Tandy said, with the first game of his tenure against Argentina on 9 November. 'Zammo [Rees-Zammit] brings a big effect and excitement by coming back.
'It's great for the game. He's gone away to experience something new, which is class, and I'm sure he will be in outstanding physical condition.'
|'The more players we have available to represent our country, the better. That's exciting and makes our jobs easier.
'It will also make our calls on selection a lot more challenging as we've already got some very good back-three players. Adding Zammo into that makes it even more exciting for not only us, but the fans as well.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Teddy Bridgewater reveals why he is 'very upset' to be back in the NFL after retirement U-turn at the age of 32
Teddy Bridgewater always planned to play football this year. Just maybe not quite this early. In a perfect world, the well-traveled quarterback wouldn't be spending this weekend in Pittsburgh getting ready for his preseason debut with Tampa Bay, but in Miami helping Northwestern High prepare to defend the Florida Class 3A title he coached his alma mater to last winter. Don't get Bridgewater wrong. The 32-year-old - whose retirement hasn't quite stuck more than 18 months after he announced it - is eager to go out and show he can still 'spin it.' And he's grateful to do it for a team that has ripped off four straight NFC South titles, a team that also happens to be not that far from home. Still, Bridgewater would be lying if he said this was his first choice. The plan was always to coach until Northwestern's season was over, then explore his options in the NFL, just as he did last year when he made a cameo with Detroit as Jared Goff's backup during the Lions' playoff push. A seemingly innocuous social media post changed everything. Bridgewater's Facebook message was designed to find donors willing to help offset team expenses not covered by the school, expenses - from food to rides home from practice - that he freely admitted he paid out of his own pocket in 2024. Yet his admission also constituted potential violations concerning impermissible benefits. Bridgewater - who did not take a salary as head coach - self-reported the payments and was subsequently suspended. The Florida High School Athletic Association's investigation is ongoing. 'It's very upsetting,' Bridgewater said following a joint practice between the Buccaneers and Steelers ahead of their preseason game at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday night. 'Just knowing that you have good intentions and those good intentions will be turned against you and used against you.' It's unclear when a resolution might come. For Bridgewater, who still communicates regularly with his at-the-moment former players, it can't get here fast enough. 'I´m hoping to get it resolved because those kids have a special place in my heart,' Bridgewater said. 'And I´d love to finish what I started with them.' Bridgewater didn't even rule out making the four-ish hour drive from Tampa to Miami on Fridays when the Buccaneers' schedule allows to attend a Northwestern game as a fan, at least for now. He'd love the opportunity to return one day as the coach of the school where he became a star in the late 2000s before embarking on a decorated college career at Louisville, followed by a nomadic journey through the NFL. When Bridgewater announced after the 2023 season that he was stepping away, he thought it would stick. He quickly agreed to become the head coach at Northwestern, eager to start the next chapter of his life. Yet he also stayed in shape, even taking snaps during the spring game, headset on all the while. He also remained in contact with Lions coach Dan Campbell and realized that playing could not only let him feed a passion to play that is very much still there, but set another kind of example in the process. 'I always see it as motivation for the kids to know that you can do whatever you put your mind to,' Bridgewater said. 'As long as you build those healthy relationships, continue to train, work hard year-round, opportunities are going to come.' Enter Tampa Bay, which reached out looking for someone experienced to join a quarterback room that includes Baker Mayfield, coming off the best season of his career. Bridgewater isn't with the Buccaneers to be the starter like he was during stints in Minnesota, Carolina and Denver, but a resource. 'Most good quarterbacks have another guy in there that´s a veteran, that´s pretty savvy, that understands the game and knows the game,' Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said. 'And (Teddy) can help Baker out. Coaching helps (Baker) out, but there´s nothing like seeing it from a player´s standpoint, and (Teddy) can give that to Baker.' There's also a fair amount of life left in Bridgewater's right arm. Wearing No. 16, he more than held his own while taking snaps during the joint practice with Pittsburgh. And with Mayfield getting the night off on Saturday, Bridgewater figures to get some extended run for the first time in a long time. However the rest of his 2025 goes, don't expect Bridgewater to commit full time to becoming one of those quarterbacks who are just fine with bouncing around the NFL deep into their 30s. Bridgewater first raised eyebrows when he admitted to spending thousands to help players His preference in the near term would be to find a way to still have the best of both worlds: coaching high schoolers during the fall, then seeing what work might be there for him when the calendar nears late December. He received feelers during the offseason after his stint with the Lions, and his answer was always some version of 'I'm up for it, check back when Northwestern is done.' Told preferring an unpaid coaching gig over the far more lucrative life of an NFL quarterback - even a backup one - makes him an outlier of sorts, and Bridgewater just shrugged. 'Yeah, I can make a ton of money playing football and coaching high school ball, I get nothing,' he said. 'But it´s not even about the money. It´s about giving those kids a building block to go out into the real world and be productive.'
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
Premier League opener halted after Antoine Semenyo reports racist abuse
A man was ejected from Anfield after reports of racial abuse directed at Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo during the season's opening Premier League game against Liverpool. Match referee Anthony Taylor paused play in the 29th minute after Semenyo accused a spectator of racist abuse. An anti-discrimination message was read out to the Anfield crowd, and it is understood that police officers went into the referee's room at half-time. Merseyside Police said an investigation is under way after the 47-year-old man's identity was confirmed and he was removed from the ground. Chief Inspector Kev Chatterton, the match commander for the Liverpool v Bournemouth game, said: "Merseyside Police will not tolerate hate crime of any form. "We take incidents like this very seriously, and in cases like this we will be proactively seeking football banning orders, with the club, against those responsible." He added: "There is no place for racism and it is vital that anyone who witnesses such an offence reports it to stewards, or the police immediately, so we can take the necessary action like we did this evening. "As with all matches, we work very closely with both Liverpool and Everton FC to ensure the safety of the public, and the players." A spokesperson for Liverpool said the club was "aware of an allegation of racist abuse made during our Premier League game against Bournemouth". The Liverpool spokesperson said: "We condemn racism and discrimination in all forms, it has no place in society, or football. "The club is unable to comment further as tonight's alleged is incident is the subject of an ongoing police investigation, which we will support fully." After the incident, Semenyo scored twice in the second half to help bring Bournemouth back from two goals down at Anfield before Liverpool went on to eventually win the contest 4-2. Bournemouth captain Adam Smith told Sky Sports News afterwards: "It shouldn't be happening. I don't know how Ant's played on to be honest and come up with those goals. It's totally unacceptable. "Something needs to be done. Taking the knee isn't having an effect. We're supporting him and hopefully he'll be OK. "I wanted him to react because that's what I would have done, but this shows what type of man he come up with those goals showed the type of guy he is. "To be fair the Liverpool players were very supportive as well towards Antoine and the rest of the team. It was handled in the right way but... so angry. "I don't know what else we can do. No one's getting it. I don't know what to say anymore. I just feel for Ant... shocking." The Premier League said in a statement that its "on-field anti-discrimination protocol" had been followed and the incident "will now be fully investigated". "We offer our full support to the player and both clubs," it added. "Racism has no place in our game, or anywhere in society. We will continue to work with stakeholders and authorities to ensure our stadiums are an inclusive and welcoming environment for all." The Football Association said it was "concerned" about the allegation of racism towards Semenyo and that it would ensure "appropriate action" would be taken. The incident comes two days after Tottenham Hotspur player Mathys Tel faced racist abuse online following a missed penalty in his team's UEFA Super Cup victory over Paris Saint-Germain.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Fans are convinced Travis Kelce's outfit is a nod to girlfriend Taylor Swift as he arrives for first NFL game since podcast broke the internet
Travis Kelce appeared to make a sweet nod to his girlfriend Taylor Swift with his bold outfit choice for the Chiefs-Seahawks preseason game on Friday night. Kansas City traveled to Seattle for another tune-up ahead of the 2025 season, and Kelce was front and center of the group - just days after he and his girlfriend broke the internet. Swift appeared on Kelce's podcast on Wednesday to announce her new album - The Life of a Showgirl - with its orange color scheme, as 1.3million tuned in live to take in the two-hour episode. And Kelce was seemingly repping those same colors on Friday, as he donned a striped orange and green polo for his arrival at the Seahawks' stadium. He paired the stylish look with some brown pants and white trainers, while carrying a similar-colored brown bag and wearing a white cap. Swifties - perhaps unsurprisingly - didn't take long to spot the color scheme, and quickly took to the comments section of the Chiefs' Instagram page to share their thoughts. Swift revealed the details of her new album alongside her man on his New Heights podcast 'TS12 colors', one wrote, while another added: 'The orange and green hehe' The Chiefs themselves leaned into the Swift references by calling Kelce 'our human exclamation point' in the caption, a reference to how the popstar labeled her man on the New Heights podcast. The live airing of the episode on YouTube earlier this week quite literally broke the internet, with the stream going down towards the end of the show. It took YouTube over three hours to fix the issue, before they quietly uploaded the final 20 minutes of the chat between Swift and the Kelce brothers. Kelce and Swift are perhaps the most famous couple in the world; they are pictured in NYC After the madness of the episode, and his GQ cover shoot reveal, attention for Travis now returns to the NFL and the new Chiefs season. Although the tight end is not expected to suit up for the preseason game in Seattle, he traveled with the team to support the players on Andy Reid's roster. Going into the 2025 campaign, the Chiefs will once again be one of the favorites to lift the Lombardi Trophy, as they bid to overcome Super Bowl heartbreak.
