Then you are 22 years old. You’ve always loved watching American football games, and you’ve just received an invitation to go to Florida to gauge your potential in the lucrative NFL. There are no guarantees, but if you can crack the code, you can get a ton of cash. Would you say, “Yes, please”? Or would you say: “No, I’m very sorry, we play Castres in the Challenge Cup on Friday”?
Step into the boots of Louis Rees-Zammit’s fast-moving, darkest January, and you’ll immediately understand why the ultimate American dream might appeal: If I’m good enough, honey; if I’m good enough, that’s great. If not, at least I tried in my athletic prime. As LRZ made clear in his hastily written farewell letter, life-changing opportunities like this don’t come around every day.
On one hand, wish him good luck. On the other hand, he has just shattered the dreams of thousands of Wales fans. Especially someone who sawed off his right arm to represent his country in a Six Nations match at a packed Principality Stadium. So much for the lush green grass at home and the exciting pre-match songs. Today, it’s all about your personal brand, Bahawood.
Perhaps it’s naive or hopelessly old-fashioned to feel sad that the most exciting Welshman of his generation had given up on something so special so quickly – as far as anyone knows, the call from America only came last Sunday night , so he hasn’t spent weeks agonizing over it. Maybe someone, somewhere, could also tell him that hasty timing and lack of notice would do him no good. If this doesn’t work in America, universal forgiveness may not come immediately.
Then again, Rees-Zammit has never been one to sit back and wait for things to happen. “Rees-Lightning” scored 14 times in 32 Tests for Wales, and his talent is real enough. So is his confidence. As he told the Guardian in late 2021, he backed himself up against almost anyone. “In my mind, the bigger the guy I’m facing, the less he moves.”
He’s going to need all of his blazing speed, more simply, to make an NFL roster. Christian Wade arguably got off target quicker, but ultimately his ambitions fell short. It’s all well and good to aspire to be a wide receiver or kick return specialist, but thousands of talented sprinters in the United States already possess innate advantages. The NFL’s international player pipeline program that awaits Reece Zammit in Florida is just the first of many obstacles that put his odds of success at risk.
Some would say even seeing him try on a pair of shoulder pads would be good news for rugby’s global image in a country set to host the next World Cup in 2031. Others will reiterate that everyone has the right to make whatever decision suits them. Wales rugby is not about being flooded with money or having a good team right now. Rees-Zammit might just be looking around and thinking skipping this particular Wales Six Nations might not be the end of the world.
But above all, it is a symbol of the times, both within rugby and wider society. Despite recent heartfelt tributes to the great JPR Williams, rugby no longer holds the same appeal in Wales as it once did. It’s also a sport that requires a lot of effort, and the wages are significantly low by American football standards. From a business perspective, football is a pimple on the NFL’s thick ass, but from a Gen Z perspective, there are sexier sports out there.
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So why wouldn’t athletes in their early 20s want to experience life outside of Kingsholm or Cardiff Arms Park? Rees-Zammit’s real estate developer father, Joe, was a lifelong American football fan and there was a big world out there. If he eventually returns to rugby, wiser from experience, there will be no shortage of teams in England, France and Japan willing to offer a contract to a player who already possesses priceless abilities.
But in the short term, that doesn’t do Wells much good. Alternatively, it could be the British and Irish Lions in Australia next year. Because if he does return for the 2025 Six Nations, Rees-Zammit really has to tear things up and convince Andy Farrell that he deserves a spot ahead of more committed, selfless team players.
If this sounds a bit harsh, it’s just a fact of life. Rugby league may sometimes be seen as a Mickey Mouse sport compared to professional rugby, but Reece-Zammit has 143 years of Test match history embedded in the red jersey carelessly tossed aside. He has every right to go to Florida and pursue whatever dreams he wants, but it’s also a huge gamble.as Wales players line up to sing The hometown of my fathers It’s best not to hold on to the badge two weeks before Saturday’s Scotland game in Cardiff.
