Rees-Zammit's all-time sporting hero meant England's flirtation was never a runner
England’s flirtation with Louis Rees-Zammit was always likely to end in tears for one very good reason – the 18-year-old’s all-time sporting hero is iconic Wales winger Shane Williams.
It was reported last Sunday by The RugbyPaper that Eddie Jones – via team boss Richard Hill – had sounded out the Gloucester winger’s interest in potentially declaring for England on residency grounds ahead of the 2020 Six Nations.
However, that approach was reportedly rebuffed by the youngster who turns 19 on February 2, the day after Wayne Pivac’s Wales open their campaign at home to Italy.
Warren Gatland’s successor is due to announce his squad for the tournament next week and there is much speculation that it will include Rees-Zammit, the Penarth-born kid who has so far only represented Wales at under-18s level.
Fresh from winning the Gallagher Premiership’s latest player of the month award following five tries in three December appearances for Gloucester, he name-checked Williams as his sporting hero during an interview with the club’s TV station.
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Asked to name his three favourite sportspeople, he told Gloucester Rugby TV: “Probably (Cristiano) Ronaldo up top. I have always watched him play – he is something else, the things he has done, the successes he has had.
“Second one would be my sporting hero, Shane Williams. I always used to watch him when I was a kid, went to Wales games and he always used to be the stand-out player.
“And third, Rafael Nadal. One of the greatest tennis players ever. I do enjoy playing tennis, not that I am any good.”
England's reported courtship of @LouisReesZammit is very unlikely to pan outhttps://t.co/MEpDu18QZg
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 5, 2020
It was last April when Rees-Zammit made his Premiership debut off the bench for Gloucester, appearing in a derby encounter versus Bath, but he came to prominence last month with a stellar show of form which included a hat-trick versus Northampton and two more tries versus Worcester.
It’s a rise to prominence he didn’t particularly plan for. “I didn’t have a main goal,” he said when asked what he hoped to achieve in 2019/20.
“I just wanted to get better every day and just wanted to put that shirt on, run out in front of Kingsholm. I never actually had something up there to go and achieve. I just took it day by day, a see where it got me kind of thing.
These are impressive stats – no wonder @LouisReesZammit is the #GallagherPrem Player of the Month https://t.co/2212L7tqjZ
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) January 8, 2020
“Definitely, I want to be the best player, I want to always improve. In training, I always want to shine, stuff like that which gives me the motivation to play the game.”
Reflecting on his pathway through the ranks, Rees-Zammit paid tribute to the sacrifice of his family in helping him to make the breakthrough.
“I officially got picked up why Gloucester when I was 16 having moved from Cardiff to Hartpury and then just kept playing, played under-18s, played the academy league, lost twice in the final and then just trained hard, tried to get myself out there and then luckily I got the opportunity to play against Bath last year and it was a very good experience.
? Targets for the season?@LouisReesZammit is just focusing on getting better every day, and running out at Kingsholm ????
See his full feature with #GRTV now ? https://t.co/LHjOxakwaq pic.twitter.com/t4XayLStWx
— Gloucester Rugby ? (@gloucesterrugby) January 9, 2020
“It is pretty amazing. My family are supportive of everything I do. My dad used to travel three times a week to Hartpury to take me up and back, so they have been supportive. Say if I score or the first time I go on the pitch, I go to look at them, see what they are up to. I love every moment.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments