Louis Rees-Zammit: Wales winger quits rugby union to pursue NFL dream in bombshell announcement

Wales winger Louis Rees-Zammit has quit rugby union to try and become an American football player in the NFL.

On the day Warren Gatland names his squad for the Six Nations, the 22-year-old British & Irish Lion has been released from his contract at Gallagher Premiership club Gloucester and will immediately join the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP).

Rees-Zammit will leave the UK for Florida next week in the hope that he can impress enough to earn a spot on a franchise roster for next season. British players have tried in the past to switch from rugby but without making an impact on the starting teams. Christian Wade is now back with Racing 92.

Australian Jordan Mailata is arguably the most successful rugby convert, but from league, having played in the Super Bowl for the Philadelphia Eagles last year.

Rees-Zammit, who has won 32 caps for Wales, will be joining a programme which gives elite athletes a chance to impress scouts in the NFL.

“Gloucester Rugby has been a huge part of my life,” he said in a statement.

“From the start at Hartpury College and my first professional rugby contract with Gloucester in 2020, to my Wales and Lions caps, the club has been central to my development as a player, and I’m so grateful for their support.

“I have had the incredible honour of playing rugby for my country which, as a proud Welshman, I’ve never taken for granted.

“However, I believe that this is the right time for me to realise another professional goal of playing American football in the US. Those opportunities don’t come around very often.”

British-born players have had limited success in the NFL, aside from the likes of Jay Ajayi, Efe Obada and Jack Crawford, but Rees-Zammit will hope to buck that trend.

"We understand the size of the opportunity before Zam and his lifelong ambition to play in the NFL,” said Gloucester CEO Alex Brown.

"Whilst we are naturally sad to see him leave, ultimately, we are not able to dissuade him from taking an opportunity of this magnitude with the NFL.

“We remain very proud of the role Gloucester Rugby has played in helping to develop him into the world class player he has become, and we wish him the very best in the US. He will always be welcome at Kingsholm.”

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