Confusion over his role and a lack of standout skills were always likely to make it difficult to switch sports but rugby is welcoming him back with open arms
“W
hen you’re super talented and have options, you do what is best for you,” is how former New York Giants cornerback Jason Bell explains Louis Rees-Zammit’s unexpected return to rugby union from the NFL.
Less than a week after Rees-Zammit’s sudden announcement that he is leaving Jacksonville Jaguars on the eve of the 2025 season, the Wales coach, Steve Tandy, all but named him in his first squad for the forthcoming Autumn Nations games against Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa, describing his impending return as “a great boost to the game, to fans and to coaches”.
The initial explanation for the premature end of Rees-Zammit’s American dream last week was that it was down to a combination of bad luck, injury and the sacking of the Jaguars’ coaching staff who recruited him from Kansas City Chiefs during the close season. Just a few months ago he appeared determined to stay in the NFL for at least one more year. “I didn’t leave rugby just to try it for a year, people would be pretty dumb to think that I’d leave straight away,” he said in February.
