Rees-zammit Left Nfl After 'wasting His Talent'

Louis Rees-Zammit returned to rugby national because he realised he was "wasting his talent" successful nan National Football League (NFL).

But he says he has nary regrets quitting rugby, claiming he is amended for experiencing nan "brutal" world of American shot alongside Super Bowl stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

The Wales and British and Irish Lions helping shocked his athletics when, connected nan eve of nan 2024 Six Nations, he announced his determination to effort and make it successful nan NFL.

Having slow begun to realise his American dream was not going to go a reality during 18 months of trying, nan 24-year-old is backmost having signed a season-long woody astatine Bristol Bears.

Despite winning contracts pinch Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars, Rees-Zammit did not play a competitory NFL game.

"I conscionable felt for illustration I was benignant of wasting my talent retired there, to beryllium honorable pinch you," he said.

"I gave it my champion changeable but it's very difficult to get into nan NFL if you haven't gone done nan assemblage system, you conscionable don't get nan aforesaid opportunities arsenic those boys.

"It makes consciousness from a coach's constituent of view, because those boys person been playing that athletics for truthful agelong and it's difficult to coach personification up connected nan athletics they've ne'er played before.

"I was getting minimal reps and it conscionable was thing that I was fed up pinch erstwhile I was practising there."

Far from seeing it arsenic a grounded experiment, Rees-Zammit says it was a valuable experience, adding: "Just to beryllium progressive successful a locker room that was wholly different to rugby, adjacent to world figures for illustration Mahomes and Kelce, I learned from everything they did time to day.

"But I'm existent astir it - it astir apt wasn't for maine successful nan end.

"There's nary regrets. I'm very happy that I made nan determination because would I regret it if I ne'er did it? That's nan biggest regret.

"I've gone out, did it, played a year, and made a determination to travel backmost and really definitive my crippled again.

"It was a gradual thing, but erstwhile I went backmost for twelvemonth two, I kept reasoning astir what would hap if I came backmost to rugby."

What happened was nan inevitable. Even during his sabbatical, nan free-scoring winger remained 1 of nan sport's biggest names.

There was nary shortage of offers, pinch Bristol's style of play and short region to his Cardiff location evident draws.

Rees-Zammit's short-term deal, he says, was nan correct move arsenic he looks to show he has mislaid small of nan accomplishment aliases nan velocity he had earlier bulking up successful nan NFL.

But it has besides prompted speculation complete a move to nan projected breakaway rebel circuit R360 successful a year's time.

The 32-cap world said he had only seen nan media reports and is focused connected regaining lucifer fittingness successful clip to commencement nan caller English Premiership play pinch Bristol against Leicester connected 28 September - pinch a Wales return besides successful his sights - and past "see what opportunities arise".

But he did admit that "globally we want rugby to beryllium arsenic large arsenic possible, and if we tin play it connected a world shape that's going to beryllium huge".

Rees-Zammit is personification nan game's organisers cognize they need. He has much Instagram followers than nan Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and his societal media influencer woman Drew Knotts will subordinate him backmost successful Cardiff.

That includes an out-of-sorts Wales, pinch nan nationalist broadside having played 18 Tests since he near and losing each barroom one.

There was nary information of a move to a Welsh region, but he has held talks pinch caller Wales caput coach Steve Tandy and his unit arsenic he eyes an autumn world return.

But Rees-Zammit says performing for Bristol is simply a priority, adding he moreover missed tackling during his clip connected nan offence of nan Chiefs and nan Jaguars.

He will not person played genuinely competitory athletics successful 20 months by nan clip nan play starts, but said he has been reacquainting himself pinch a rugby shot complete nan past 2 months and did not consciousness "rusty".

"The accomplishment isn't really nan issue, it's conscionable astir being lucifer fit," he said. "There's a batch much conditioning successful rugby - successful NFL it's much anaerobic fitness, being capable to do repeated sprints, not truthful overmuch long-distance worldly because nan [time of the] shot successful play present is very high."

As is his speed, claiming he still clocked 23mph contempt putting connected an other 10kg.

He will besides person to transportation nan weight of anticipation arsenic 1 of nan game's existent superstars returns pinch nary regrets but plentifulness of eyes connected his progress.