Bristol Bears sign Louis Rees-Zammit with 'immediate effect'

Bristol Bears have won the battle to sign Wales superstar Louis Rees-Zammit after his bid to crack the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars ended in failure.

Newcastle Falcons earlier this week said that Rees-Zammit, 24, wouldn’t be playing for them next season, despite having cash following their takeover by the energy drinks giant.

Rees-Zammit’s former club, Gloucester, where he scored 42 tries in 77 appearances before leaving for America, were understood to have been offered first refusal under the terms of his departure 18 months ago.

While Cardiff had also expressed an interest, they were always up against it once Premiership Rugby sides launched a late summer hunt down the back of the sofa to find funds for the signing.

Bristol have this evening confirmed the signing, which takes effect immediately.

Rees-Zammit said: “Bristol Bears was the obvious choice for me. The style of rugby the team play – all about entertaining the fans and growing the game – perfectly aligns to how I want to play and how I express myself on and off the field.

“I want to get fans out of their seats, create exciting moments and help people fall in the love with the game. I’m excited to return to rugby at a club that demands those values. I’m looking forward to working with my teammates, Pat Lam and the coaches and all the backroom team to bring success to the Bears.”

Director of Rugby, Pat Lam, said: “Louis is a world-class player, and we’re thrilled to welcome him back to rugby union and to the Bears this season.

“Although we have a small squad, we’ve been building quality depth and experience across the team, bringing in players who can cover multiple positions to help us take that next step in the PREM and in Europe. Louis offers exactly that to our dynamic back three, with his ability and desire to play both full back and wing for the Bears.

“He has the drive and ambition to be one of the best back-three players in the world, and his goals align perfectly with our ambitions as a club.

“At just 24 years old, we know the athlete and competitor he is. The way we play and the way he wants to play fit seamlessly together, and we’re looking forward to working with him when he joins the group tomorrow.”

He could make his debut when the Bears kick off their season with a visit to Sale Sharks in the Premiership Cup on September 13 before visiting his former club Gloucester at Kingsholm the following weekend.

Rees-Zammit will have plenty of time to get himself back up to speed, providing he is fully over the back injury he suffered during the Jaguars’ pre-season training camp, which helped accelerate his return to the UK.

His decision to return to the sport earlier in the month was welcomed by new Wales boss Steve Tandy when he met the media in Cardiff last week.

“I’m pretty open-minded, I just want to see him playing. That’s the most important thing, getting him back and him being in an environment he’s really happy in.
“Him being available is a massive addition to the squad. You know he’ll be in brilliant shape, he’ll be fit, and he’s an instinctive rugby player who does things really naturally.

“The learning he’s had will have made him an even better rugby player, so it’s, for him, finding the right club and environment, and I’ve no doubt he’ll be back to where he was, if not better,” he told Sky.