'I’ll do whatever it takes': Louis Rees-Zammit sets out 'goal' for rugby career

Louis Rees-Zammit has no regrets about spending 18 months trying to crack the NFL, but now that he is back at the Bristol Bears, he is determined to make up for lost time and has vowed to do whatever it takes to become one of the world’s best players.

Two years ago, the Wales superstar shocked the rugby world when he announced he was leaving Gloucester to join the NFL’s International Player Pathway and would spend time with the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars.

He joined the Bears at the start of the season and has recently extended his stay at Ashton Gate for another two years and is determined to claim his place among the game’s elite performers.

“I’m only 25, so you know, I wouldn’t say I’ve even hit the prime of my career yet. I’m still learning from my teammates, from coaches, trying to get better every day in training.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to become one of the best players in the world, which is my goal. I’m going to continue to do that every day. I’m only young, I’m trying to improve every day and get better.

“That was the plan, do it (NFL) when I’m young, because I can come back. If I did it later in my career, probably, it would limit the options coming back and would have taken more time getting up to speed with the game again.

“That was kind of why I made the decision to do it at such a young age. Now, I’m back, and I’m feeling a lot more comfortable game by game.

“The speed of the game is a lot different over in America, so it’s just something I wasn’t used to for that two-year period. You’ve got to take that time to train through it, to get matches under your belt,” he said.

Rees-Zammit has switched from the wing to full-back since returning from America and sees his long-term future wearing the 15 shirt for as long as needed by club and country.

“I’ll play wherever the coach plays me, to be honest with you. Both Pat (Lam, Bears boss) and Steve (Tandy, Wales coach) have said at the start of the season that they want me to play fullback.

“So that’s the plan for now. If something changes, then it changes, and I’ll go back to the wing, but I’ll play wherever the coach wants me to play. It’s very interchangeable nowadays, playing fullback and wing.

“When we’re attacking, there’s not really much difference in terms of playing the position. It’s only really the defensive side of it that is different,” he adds.