Louis Rees-Zammit returned from an unsuccessful spell in the National Football League to help Wales defeat New Zealand 35-28 in the Nations Championship at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, ending a winless streak against the All Blacks that dated back to December 13, 1953.
QS Quotidiano Sportivo reported that the historic victory unfolded before 55,000 spectators, leaving the stadium roughly 20,000 seats under capacity during a challenging period for Welsh rugby. The 35-28 result marked Wales’s first success against the visitors across 34 matches in more than seven decades.
Rees-Zammit initially walked away from lucrative offers with major European rugby clubs in January 2024 at age 23 to pursue American football. His fascination with the sport stemmed from childhood, inspired by his father Joe, a former amateur player with the Cardiff Bay Tigers who watched British television broadcasts of the NFL dating back to the early 1980s.
Standing 191 centimeters tall and weighing 100 kilograms, Rees-Zammit targeted positions as a running back and kick returner. He secured a spot in the NFL’s International Player Pathway program, established in 2017 to develop foreign talent, spending three weeks at the IMG Academy in Florida for intensive classroom and on-field training.
During his Pro Day evaluation before NFL scouts, Rees-Zammit clocked 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash. While solid for an athlete of his build, he expressed regret over missing a 4.2-second mark he claimed to have reached during private training sessions.
“Imparare in fretta è fondamentale, perché chi arriva qui da fuori è in ritardo rispetto a chi gioca a football da quando ha otto anni,” Rees-Zammit said at the time.
The transition proved difficult given the depth and entrenched experience at his position. The Kansas City Chiefs released him in late August 2024 following three preseason appearances, after which the Jacksonville Jaguars signed him to their practice squad.
With limited opportunities to break into an active roster, Rees-Zammit opted to abandon his American football ambitions and return to rugby union.
While other rugby players have attempted the code switch with varying degrees of success, none carried Rees-Zammit’s profile. Australian athlete Jordan Mailata achieved greater longevity after transitioning from rugby league to the NFL, joining the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 and winning a Super Bowl.
Standing 203 centimeters and weighing 160 kilograms, Mailata plays offensive tackle to protect quarterbacks and runners. His massive physical dimensions match a scarcer athletic demographic than the crowded skill positions Rees-Zammit pursued.
