Louis Rees-Zammit wants to become the best back-three player in the world, according to Bristol Bears boss Pat Lam
Updated 15/08/2025 at 11:34 GMT+1
Bristol Bears boss Pat Lam said Louis Rees-Zammit wants to become "the best back-three player in the world". The 32-cap Wales international is returning to rugby after 20 months away, during which he was trying to break into the NFL. He spent time on the training squads of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars, but never made a regular-season appearance.
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Bristol Bears boss Pat Lam said Louis Rees-Zammit wants to become "the best back-three player in the world".
Rees-Zammit has joined PREM Rugby’s Bristol Bears, having spent 20 months away from rugby trying to break into the NFL.
The 24-year-old, who has won 32 caps for Wales, announced his return to rugby earlier this month after spending time on the training squads of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars.
And according to Lam, Rees-Zammit is now aiming to become one of the world’s best rugby players.
"He wants to get back into rugby and be the best back-three player in the world, and I love that," Lam told the BBC.
"I just want to know what motivates players. Everyone thinks it's easy, you get paid to play a game we love.
"But ultimately, I just want to know what gets guys out of bed to go and put their bodies on the line and do what we do.
"That dream is really important. When guys talk about, 'I just want to be a better rugby player', it's probably not the one I'm looking for.
"I'm looking for guys with big dreams and he certainly has that."
Rees-Zammit, who at Gloucester was widely regarded among the stand-out attackers in European rugby, is said to have turned down a spate of more lucrative proposals to sign for Bristol.
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"What I really enjoyed about the whole thing is that he could have gone anywhere for lots of money," Lam said.
"I know there was big money out there and I'd say our offer is nowhere near what people might think it is.
"What I liked about that is that it left it purely on him to decide if he wanted money. He probably had four or five other offers that he could take.
"But he wanted a good rugby programme and a style of rugby that gets him back into the game and gives him the best chance to play for Wales again, which is important to him... that was the main thing."
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