Louis Rees-Zammit is loving life back in the Premiership with Bristol Bears as speculation over his long-term future continues to rumble on. Reez-Zammit joined Bristol in the summer and came off the bench during his side’s hugely impressive 46-12 win over Northampton Saints on Saturday night.
The winger signed a one-year contract at Ashton Gate upon his return to the UK following his exploits in the NFL, as he had agreed to sign up to the R360 breakaway league next year. The rebel league, fronted by former England international Mike Tindall, has spent months targeting high-profile stars from around the globe to launch the competition with impetus.
But in the latest in a number of setbacks, the launch of the new competition has been pushed back to 2028, meaning there are real question marks over what will happen once his one-year deal at Bristol comes to an end.
For now, though, he says he’s enjoying life at Ashton Gate. Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, he said: “I absolutely love it. It’s so good to be back in the Premiership. It’s amazing to be at Bristol as well.
“The whole club, my team-mates, they’ve all made me feel so welcome. The supporters as well. We get such a good turnout every week.”
His impact has also been hailed by team-mate Harry Randall, who said: “He’s had a very big impact. The person he is coming into a squad.
“He’s brilliant for our commercial team, I should think! He’s probably brought a few more followers for them!
“But he’s been brilliant. He’s fitted in seamlessly, and it’s been a joy to have him round the place. He’s massive for us to have on the field, as you can see from the small period of time he’s been here already.”
Commenting on the win, Rees-Zammit added: “Yeah it’s absolutely massive for us. We spoke about it last year.
“We won a lot on the road and not so much at Ashton Gate, and we kind of want to turn that around. So now we’ve got three out of three at Ashton Gate, and it’s absolutely massive for us.”
Bristol Bears coach Pat Lam has remained tight-lipped over the Welsh star’s future beyond the season, saying: “I’m going to be consistent on recruitment.
“If I have something to tell you, I’ll let you know. I’d love to keep all my players and bring more players in, and would love to have as many world-class players as I can.”