Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit signs contract with Kansas City Chiefs

Louis Rees-Zammit is swapping the scrum for the huddle as he signs a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Writing on its website, the Chiefs said they'd made "an international splash" by signing the "European Rugby star" following a 10 week stint on the NFL's International Player Pathway Programme.

Rees-Zammitt recently took part in an NFL pro day in front of scouts, where his time of 4.44 seconds for a 40-yard dash would have ranked fifth among tailbacks at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

Henry Hodgson, general manager of the NFL UK office, told ITV Wales that a number of clubs were interested in acquiring the services of the 23 year old.

"There was a lot of interest in signing him for an NFL team so he spent the last week or so visiting several clubs from across the US, went and visited the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this week and they have offered him a contract which he has just signed today," he said.

The Chiefs are signing the Welsh rugby star to a contract which includes some guaranteed money and a signing bonus, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

The young star stepped away from rugby in January to join the NFL's International Player Pathway program.

His announcement came in a bombshell statement minutes before Warren Gatland revealed his squad for this year's Six Nations.

Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, Rapoport wrote on Friday: "Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit will be in Kansas City today to sign his three-year contract with the #Chiefs, one that includes some guaranteed money and a signing bonus.

"The International Player Pathway Program participant trained for 10 weeks at IMG Academy, impressed at a Pro Day, then took team visits. He lands in KC."

The Chief's Travis Kelce has made headlines recently thanks to his romance with 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.

Speaking about the Chiefs, Seb Kennedy, a Caerphilly-based sports journalist, said: "They're the top of the top in terms of the teams. They've just won back-to-back Super Bowls, the first team to do that for 20 years since the Patriots did it in the early Noughties."

"I feel like Louis's story is quite unique in that his dad played and we know that he's been an NFL fan for years and years," Seb continued, adding that the NFL is starting to grow internationally with games being held in London and Germany.

"We will probably start to see more of this happening as the sport continues to grow across the world and I think Louis is one who could really hold the beacon for Welsh stars going forward."

Mr Hodgson added that Rees-Zammit is "going to have to continue working as hard as he has done over the last 10 weeks."

"This is really the first step in his journey, a very exciting one. It's great to have him on the team, especially a team like the Kansas City Chiefs who have won the last two Super Bowls," he said.

"But really, for him, the hardest work now begins because he's going to be with some of the very best NFL players on the planet. So, he's really going to have to prove himself, he's going to have to work incredibly hard."

Rees-Zammit will spend his summer in training camp before the Chiefs pick their final men ahead of the season starting in September. His next goal will be to join those who have made an active roster.

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