Reports Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit to sign for Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs
Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit is set to sign for Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs, according to a report in the United States.
It comes after the winger joined the NFL's intensive International Player Pathway program with the hope of making it onto the roster of an NFL team later this year.
The 23-year-old’s signing is expected to be confirmed on Friday, with running back and wide receiver thought to be his designated positions.
Penarth-born Louis Rees-Zammit first announced his intention to pursue a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" in American Football in a bombshell statement minutes before Warren Gatland revealed his squad for this year's Six Nations in January.
The young talent was a mainstay with his club side Gloucester and for the Wales national team, as well as being selected for a British & Irish Lions Tour in 2021.
He said he would be stepping away from international rugby rather than retiring, and would welcome the opportunity to "diversify [his] skill set" through American Football.
That dream moved a step closer when he impressed during last week’s pro day that forms part of the International Player Pathway program.
Rees-Zammit clocked 4.43 seconds in his 40-yard dash, a 9ft 7in broad jump and 29-inch vertical jump.
He had earned the nickname Rees Lightning during his rugby days thanks to his pace.
NFL UK confirmed on their X account, formerly Twitter, that Rees-Zammit visited several NFL franchises in the past few weeks, including the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos.
He is now set to join the Chiefs’ practice squad, with his next target a place on the Chiefs’ final roster for the new season.
He would be joining the Chief's superstar players – Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce – in targeting a third-successive Super Bowl.
On Monday, it was announced that Rees-Zammit had signed a deal to join Jay-Z's sports agency – RocNation Sport.
Many NFL players go on to earn high-profile celebrity status, especially in the US.
The Chiefs' Travis Kelce in particular has hit international headlines recently thanks to his romance with global pop star Taylor Swift.
News of the relationship broke in September when Swift attended one of the Chiefs' games, but the pair later revealed they had been dating for some months.
Swift’s romance with Kelce has been credited with generating greater global interest in the game, particularly among women.
Dubbed the “Taylor Swift” effect, a number of Chiefs games Swift attended were said to have broken unprecedented viewership, ticket sales and merchandise sales records.
Front Office Sports, a media organisation covering the business of sport, reported Swift has generated a “brand value” of $331.5 million (£264 million) for the Chiefs and the NFL.
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