Wales' Louis Rees-Zammit returns to rugby after NFL dream ends
English Premiership side Bristol said Thursday that Rees-Zammit was joining with "immediate effect" ahead of the new league season. No further details about his contract were disclosed.
The 24-year-old dramatically left rugby union in January 2024 to pursue an NFL career and was on the practice squads of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars, but did not play in a regular-season game.
Earlier this month Rees-Zammit, who made his name in rugby union with Gloucester, a fierce local rival of Bristol, said he was returning to the 15-a-side code.
He spent last season with Jaguars, having been cut by the Chiefs the previous campaign, but failed to make an NFL appearance for either franchise as a wide receiver after originally switching sports by joining the NFL's International Player Pathway Program in 2024.
By then he had already scored 14 tries in 32 Tests for Wales and been selected for the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa.
Bristol, which reached the Premiership semifinals last season before losing to eventual champion Bath, is one of the most attacking teams in English rugby's top flight.
Its 95 tries was tied for the most in the division during the 2024-25 campaign, and Rees-Zammit said Bristol's approach made it an "obvious choice."
"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," Rees-Zammit said in a statement.
"I want to get fans out of their seats, create exciting moments and help people fall in love with the game. I'm excited to return to rugby at a club that demands those values."
Bristol's opening match of the new Premiership season is against Leicester on Sept. 28.
Rees-Zammit made his Gloucester debut soon after turning 18 and went on to score 42 tries in 77 matches for the Cherry and Whites during a six-year stint at Kingsholm.
His first Wales cap came in 2020 at age 19, with his speed and finishing ability making him a rising star of the sport.
Bears boss Pat Lam has no doubt Rees-Zammit, who will join the squad on Saturday, is an ideal fit.
"He has the drive and ambition to be one of the best back-three players in the world, and his goals align perfectly with our ambitions as a club," Lam said.
"At just 24 years old, we know the athlete and competitor he is. The way we play and the way he wants to play fit seamlessly together, and we're looking forward to working with him."
Wales' new coach, Steve Tandy, has already said Rees-Zammit could be in contention for a test recall as soon as the November internationals.
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