Rugby-Rees-Zammit returns to rugby union with Bristol Bears for 2025-26 season
(Reuters) -Louis Rees-Zammit has signed for Bristol Bears for the 2025-26 season, the club announced late on Thursday, marking the Welshman's return to rugby union after an 18-month stint in American football.
The 24-year-old had joined the Kansas City Chiefs in March last year after he impressed scouts at the NFL International Player Pathway. However, the four-times Super Bowl champions left him off their roster for the 2024 season.
Rees-Zammit later joined the Jacksonville Jaguars, first as part of their practice squad last August and then on their active roster in February, before opting to return to rugby union last month.
"Bristol Bears was the obvious choice for me," Rees-Zammit said in a statement. "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 love with the game. I'm excited to return to rugby at a club that demands those values.
"I'm looking forward to working with my teammates, Pat Lam (Director of Rugby at Bristol Bears) and the coaches and all the backroom team to bring success to the Bears."
Rees-Zammit made his debut for Wales in 2020 and was part of the squad that clinched the Six Nations Championship the following year.
Over his international career, he earned 32 caps and scored 14 tries, with his last appearance for Wales coming at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, where they suffered a quarter-final defeat by Argentina.
"Louis is a world-class player, and we're thrilled to welcome him back to rugby union and to the Bears this season...," Lam said.
"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."
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Michael Perry)
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