Louis Rees-Zammit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
American football career |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 9 – Kansas City Chiefs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight: | 194 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
High school: |
The Cathedral School, Llandaff Hartpury College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Louis Rees-Zammit ( /ˈluːɪs/ LOO-iss; born 2 February 2001) is a Welsh professional American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs and a former rugby union player. He played as a winger for Gloucester in the English Premiership. He played for Wales at an international level, scoring 14 tries in 32 caps. Rees-Zammit won the 2021 Six Nations Championship with Wales and he was subsequently named in the squad for the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.
In January 2024, Rees-Zammit began training for the NFL's International Player Pathway Program. In March 2024, he signed with the Chiefs.
Rees-Zammit was born in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. [1] He attended The Cathedral School, Llandaff, and played rugby for the school. [2] He played youth rugby at the Cardiff Blues academy and was named in the Cardiff Schools Team of the Decade in 2020. [3] At 16 years old, he moved to Hartpury College and from there to the academy of Gloucester Rugby. [4]
Rees-Zammit broke into the Gloucester senior team in the 2019–20 season, becoming the club's youngest ever Premiership player at 18 years and 70 days. [5] Rees-Zammit would also become Gloucester's youngest European player and youngest European try scorer in 2019. He scored two tries against Worcester during a 36–3 win in December 2019, [6] and later the same month became the first 18-year-old to score a hat-trick of tries [7] during a 33–26 loss to Northampton. [8] He received the Premiership Player of the Month Award in December 2019. [9]
On 13 January 2020, Rees-Zammit signed his first professional contract with Gloucester, securing him to the club on a long-term deal. [10] Rees-Zammit ended his season with 12 tries in 15 appearances for the 2019–20 Premiership side. [11]
He made his first appearance of the 2021–22 Premiership scoring two tries in the Round 4 victory over Sale. [12] By the time he decided to leave the club in January 2024, he had made 77 club appearances scoring 210 points. [13]
Rees-Zammit initially represented Wales under-18s. [4] He received his first call-up to the senior Wales squad, under coach Wayne Pivac, on 15 January 2020 for the 2020 Six Nations Championship. [14] He made his debut for Wales, from the bench, in a test match against France held at Stade de France in Paris, France, in October 2020. [15] [16] Rees-Zammit scored his maiden test try against Georgia on 21 November 2020. [17]
He scored his first 2021 Six Nations Championship try, on his Six Nations debut, in the Round 1 match against Ireland on 7 February 2021. [18] On 13 February 2021, in the Six Nations match against Scotland, he scored two tries, including the winning try, and was named as man of the match. [19] [a] Wales went on to win the 2021 championship the next weekend giving Rees-Zammit his first Six Nations Championship. He also won the try of the Championship award. [21]
Rees-Zammit scored 14 tries at international level for Wales, including five at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. [22]
On 6 May 2021, Rees-Zammit was named in the squad for the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa. [23] Rees-Zammit's inclusion made him the youngest Lion selected since the 1959 Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand at the age of 20 years and 93 days. [24] Rees-Zammit made his first Lions appearance in the tours opening provincial game against the Lions, scoring the opening try after 3 minutes. [25] Rees-Zammit was then selected to play against the Sharks in the following game, again getting in the scoresheet as the Lions ran out 54–7 winners. [26] Rees-Zammit scored as a replacement in the final provincial game of the tour on 17 July 2021 against the Stormers, taking his tour tally to three tries in four appearances. [27] [28]
Try | Opponent | Location | Venue | Competition | Date | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Georgia | Llanelli, Wales | Parc y Scarlets | Autumn Nations Cup | 21 November 2020 | Win |
2 | Ireland | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2021 Six Nations | 7 February 2021 | Win |
3 | Scotland | Edinburgh, Scotland | Murrayfield Stadium | 2021 Six Nations | 13 February 2021 | Win |
4 | ||||||
5 | Italy | Rome, Italy | Stadio Olimpico | 2021 Six Nations | 13 March 2021 | Win |
6 | Fiji | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2021 Autumn Internationals | 14 November 2021 | Win |
7 | South Africa | Pretoria, South Africa | Loftus Versfeld Stadium | 2022 Tour of South Africa | 2 July 2022 | Loss |
8 | ||||||
9 | England | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2023 Six Nations | 25 February 2023 | Loss |
10 | Fiji | Bordeaux, France | Stade de Bordeaux | 2023 Rugby World Cup | 10 September 2023 | Win |
11 | Portugal | Nice, France | Stade de Nice | 2023 Rugby World Cup | 16 September 2023 | Win |
12 | Georgia | Nantes, France | Stade de la Beaujoire | 2023 Rugby World Cup | 7 October 2023 | Win |
13 | ||||||
14 |
On 16 January 2024, Rees-Zammit announced that he would leave rugby union to train in American football through the National Football League's International Player Pathway Program. [29]
On 29 March 2024, Rees-Zammit signed a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs to play running back. [30]
Rees-Zammit is the nephew of Paul Rees, a former rugby union player who played as a full-back for Cardiff, Pontypool and Wales B. [31] His paternal grandfather emigrated from Malta. [32]
He has dated social media influencer and YouTuber Saffron Barker. [33] In March 2024, Barker announced that the relationship had ended. [34]
Rees-Zammit appeared in season 1 of the Netflix documentary Six Nations: Full Contact. [35]
Louis Rees-Zammit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
American football career |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 9 – Kansas City Chiefs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight: | 194 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
High school: |
The Cathedral School, Llandaff Hartpury College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Louis Rees-Zammit ( /ˈluːɪs/ LOO-iss; born 2 February 2001) is a Welsh professional American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs and a former rugby union player. He played as a winger for Gloucester in the English Premiership. He played for Wales at an international level, scoring 14 tries in 32 caps. Rees-Zammit won the 2021 Six Nations Championship with Wales and he was subsequently named in the squad for the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.
In January 2024, Rees-Zammit began training for the NFL's International Player Pathway Program. In March 2024, he signed with the Chiefs.
Rees-Zammit was born in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. [1] He attended The Cathedral School, Llandaff, and played rugby for the school. [2] He played youth rugby at the Cardiff Blues academy and was named in the Cardiff Schools Team of the Decade in 2020. [3] At 16 years old, he moved to Hartpury College and from there to the academy of Gloucester Rugby. [4]
Rees-Zammit broke into the Gloucester senior team in the 2019–20 season, becoming the club's youngest ever Premiership player at 18 years and 70 days. [5] Rees-Zammit would also become Gloucester's youngest European player and youngest European try scorer in 2019. He scored two tries against Worcester during a 36–3 win in December 2019, [6] and later the same month became the first 18-year-old to score a hat-trick of tries [7] during a 33–26 loss to Northampton. [8] He received the Premiership Player of the Month Award in December 2019. [9]
On 13 January 2020, Rees-Zammit signed his first professional contract with Gloucester, securing him to the club on a long-term deal. [10] Rees-Zammit ended his season with 12 tries in 15 appearances for the 2019–20 Premiership side. [11]
He made his first appearance of the 2021–22 Premiership scoring two tries in the Round 4 victory over Sale. [12] By the time he decided to leave the club in January 2024, he had made 77 club appearances scoring 210 points. [13]
Rees-Zammit initially represented Wales under-18s. [4] He received his first call-up to the senior Wales squad, under coach Wayne Pivac, on 15 January 2020 for the 2020 Six Nations Championship. [14] He made his debut for Wales, from the bench, in a test match against France held at Stade de France in Paris, France, in October 2020. [15] [16] Rees-Zammit scored his maiden test try against Georgia on 21 November 2020. [17]
He scored his first 2021 Six Nations Championship try, on his Six Nations debut, in the Round 1 match against Ireland on 7 February 2021. [18] On 13 February 2021, in the Six Nations match against Scotland, he scored two tries, including the winning try, and was named as man of the match. [19] [a] Wales went on to win the 2021 championship the next weekend giving Rees-Zammit his first Six Nations Championship. He also won the try of the Championship award. [21]
Rees-Zammit scored 14 tries at international level for Wales, including five at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. [22]
On 6 May 2021, Rees-Zammit was named in the squad for the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa. [23] Rees-Zammit's inclusion made him the youngest Lion selected since the 1959 Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand at the age of 20 years and 93 days. [24] Rees-Zammit made his first Lions appearance in the tours opening provincial game against the Lions, scoring the opening try after 3 minutes. [25] Rees-Zammit was then selected to play against the Sharks in the following game, again getting in the scoresheet as the Lions ran out 54–7 winners. [26] Rees-Zammit scored as a replacement in the final provincial game of the tour on 17 July 2021 against the Stormers, taking his tour tally to three tries in four appearances. [27] [28]
Try | Opponent | Location | Venue | Competition | Date | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Georgia | Llanelli, Wales | Parc y Scarlets | Autumn Nations Cup | 21 November 2020 | Win |
2 | Ireland | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2021 Six Nations | 7 February 2021 | Win |
3 | Scotland | Edinburgh, Scotland | Murrayfield Stadium | 2021 Six Nations | 13 February 2021 | Win |
4 | ||||||
5 | Italy | Rome, Italy | Stadio Olimpico | 2021 Six Nations | 13 March 2021 | Win |
6 | Fiji | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2021 Autumn Internationals | 14 November 2021 | Win |
7 | South Africa | Pretoria, South Africa | Loftus Versfeld Stadium | 2022 Tour of South Africa | 2 July 2022 | Loss |
8 | ||||||
9 | England | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2023 Six Nations | 25 February 2023 | Loss |
10 | Fiji | Bordeaux, France | Stade de Bordeaux | 2023 Rugby World Cup | 10 September 2023 | Win |
11 | Portugal | Nice, France | Stade de Nice | 2023 Rugby World Cup | 16 September 2023 | Win |
12 | Georgia | Nantes, France | Stade de la Beaujoire | 2023 Rugby World Cup | 7 October 2023 | Win |
13 | ||||||
14 |
On 16 January 2024, Rees-Zammit announced that he would leave rugby union to train in American football through the National Football League's International Player Pathway Program. [29]
On 29 March 2024, Rees-Zammit signed a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs to play running back. [30]
Rees-Zammit is the nephew of Paul Rees, a former rugby union player who played as a full-back for Cardiff, Pontypool and Wales B. [31] His paternal grandfather emigrated from Malta. [32]
He has dated social media influencer and YouTuber Saffron Barker. [33] In March 2024, Barker announced that the relationship had ended. [34]
Rees-Zammit appeared in season 1 of the Netflix documentary Six Nations: Full Contact. [35]