Category Sports News

Bristol Bears have signed Wales winger Louis Rees-Zammit for the 2025-26 Prem Rugby season as he returns to the sport following 18 months in the NFL.

The 24-year-old left rugby union in January 2024 to pursue a career in American football and was on the training squads of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars, but did not play in a regular-season game.

Rees-Zammit, capped 32 times by Wales, spent six years at Bristol’s local rivals Gloucester before being released from his contract to join the NFL’s International Player Pathway.

“Bristol Bears was the obvious choice for me. The style of rugby the team play – all about entertaining the fans and growing the game – perfectly aligns to how I want to play and how I express myself on and off the field,” he said.

“I want to get fans out of their seats, create exciting moments and help people fall in the love with the game. I’m excited to return to rugby at a club that demands those values.”

He was in the Cardiff Rugby academy and then moved to Hartpury College, making his Gloucester debut a couple of months after his 18th birthday.

He made his international debut in 2020 aged 19, with his pace and try-scoring ability quickly garnering headlines.

Rees-Zammit has scored 14 tries for Wales, was part of their Six Nations title-winning side in 2021 and featured for them at the 2023 World Cup, while he also toured with the British and Irish Lions in 2021.

For the Cherry and Whites he scored 42 tries in 77 matches.

He initially signed for the four-time Superbowl champions the Chiefs, but was cut in 2024 and joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as part of their practice squad.

In signing for Bristol next season he joins one of the renamed Gallagher Prem’s most dynamic attacking squads.

Director of rugby Pat Lam described Rees-Zammit as a “world-class player”.

“He has the drive and ambition to be one of the best back-three players in the world, and his goals align perfectly with our ambitions as a club,” he said,

“At just 24 years old, we know the athlete and competitor he is. The way we play and the way he wants to play fit seamlessly together, and we’re looking forward to working with him.”

During 2024-25 the Bears scored 635 points, second only to champions Bath, but 60 points more than any other team.

Their 95 tries, averaging 5.3 per game, was the joint-highest in the division. They topped the stats for the campaign with most metres made at 10,458m, which was 1,500m more than the next best side, and also for the most defenders beaten (567).

Bristol have three other wingers in their squad in Gabriel Ibitoye, Jack Bates and Kalaveti Ravouvou, although the latter played the majority of last season at centre.

Metro Bank One-Day Cup Group B, Clifton Park, York

Yorkshire 247 (48.4 overs): Revis 85, Hill 41; Ball 4-34

Somerset 252-4 (49.1 overs): Vaughan 95, J Rew 53*; Revis 2-30

Four-wicket seamer Jake Ball and opener Archie Vaughan, with a career-best 95, starred as Somerset ended Yorkshire’s 100% start to this season’s One-Day Cup.

Somerset joined their hosts on 12 points at the top of the Group B table courtesy of this six-wicket win at York with five balls remaining.

Both counties have won three and lost one at the halfway point of the group stage and while Yorkshire still hold sway courtesy of a superior net run-rate, they were second best on a used Clifton Park pitch.

Yorkshire lost wickets in clusters at either end of a scrambling innings which saw Ball take an excellent 4-34 from 9.4 overs and Matthew Revis top-score with a middle-order List A best of 85 off as many balls.

Yorkshire, inserted, slumped to 28-3 inside 10 overs.

Without injured in-form opener Imam-Ul-Haq (hip), they lost Adam Lyth bowled by a beauty from Ball, Will Luxton run out next ball and James Wharton caught behind one-handed going low to his right by James Rew off Ben Green.

Luxton misjudged a push to mid-off, where Josh Thomas mis-fielded before recovering to throw the non-striker’s stumps down.

Revis, who hit nine fours, held things together on the pitch used for Tuesday’s win over Lancashire, with Yorkshire compiling nothing more than a workable total.

Fin Bean, on 28, cut 18-year-old debutant seamer James Theedom to backward point with the score on 72 in the 18th over.

Revis reached a 49-ball 50 shortly before Yorkshire reached the halfway mark in their innings at 115-4.

He found an ally in fellow all-rounder George Hill. They calmly shared a recovery fifth-wicket partnership of 102.

Yorkshire then lost four quick wickets, including Revis and Hill caught pulling, as the score fell from 174-5 in the 36th over to 204-8 in the 42nd. Green’s second wicket accounted for Revis, 34-year-old Ball’s second was Hill for 41.

Tom Lammonby’s left-arm seam also claimed two wickets in that period.

Dan Moriarty heaved the only two sixes of Yorkshire’s innings in a career-best 30 before holing out to cover as Ball struck twice in the 49th over to wrap things up.

Opener Vaughan, in his first competitive senior career appearance against his birth county, steered Somerset’s stress-free chase.

Lammonby was well caught at deep gully by Lyth off Hill en-route to 48-1 after 10 overs before 19-year-old Vaughan shared a second-wicket partnership of 70 with Lewis Goldsworthy (30).

Vaughan reached his fifty off 65 balls but Goldsworthy fell at 111-2 in the 25th over when he top-edged a pull at Revis to long-leg.

Vaughan continued on unflustered, sharing 64 with his captain James Rew. But he was bowled looking to go over the top against Dom Bess’s off-spin. Still, at 175-3 in the 38th, Somerset were in a strong position.

James Rew finished unbeaten 53 off 62, while brother Thomas also contributed 31.

Salford Red Devils chief operating officer Claire Bradbury has quit her role at the troubled Super League outfit and alleged the club’s ownership suggested she “sleep with someone at the Rugby Football League” to ease their situation.

She joined Salford in October 2024 after more than three years working at Premiership rugby side Sale Sharks – but has resigned after less than a year with the Red Devils.

Salford have said they “condemn inappropriate language and behaviour” and will be conducting “a thorough internal investigation” into Bradbury’s allegations.

“It’s important to share something more personal, as a senior woman in business,” Bradbury posted on networking site LinkedIn in relation to her resignation.

“Misogynistic, inappropriate language from the ownership suggesting I sleep with an individual at the RFL to ‘smooth things over’ is not acceptable.

“At the time I stayed quiet because I wanted the club to succeed.

“I’m disappointed in myself that I didn’t stand up to it then so I’m voicing it now as it should be heard for the integrity and evolution of rugby league, and for all women who work in sport.”

In response to Bradbury’s allegations, a supporters’ group – The 1873 – has called off a planned meeting with the club’s ownership.

A “peaceful protest march” to the ground before Sunday’s fixture with Wakefield Trinity is still going ahead and they have now invited “all rugby league fans to stand with us”.

Responding to Bradbury’s claims, Salford’s statement said: “It has been alleged by a former member of the Salford Red Devils staff, who departed the club on 12 August 2025, that she was subjected to inappropriate verbal conduct by the owners of the club.

“Salford Red Devils unequivocally condemns any and all forms of inappropriate language and behaviour. We treat such allegations with the utmost seriousness and are committed to ensuring that our club environment remains respectful, professional, and safe for all members of staff.

“In response to these allegations, we will be conducting a thorough internal investigation. We are determined to establish the facts and take any necessary action to address the situation. We will provide a detailed report of our findings as soon as the investigation is concluded.”

Salford, who were taken over by a consortium just before the start of the season, have had a number of financial issues this year, leading to the vast majority of their senior players leaving and the struggling side bottom of Super League.

Earlier on Thursday, prior to Bradbury’s resignation, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham told BBC Radio Manchester he had been “watching the situation very closely”.

After last Sunday’s dismal 80-6 defeat at Hull FC, where five players made their debuts and some of the squad only met for the first time on the bus to the game, the owners issued a statement on Monday to say the club would not close despite their ongoing problems.

Bradbury said she and her colleagues had been left working in “impossible” conditions and the “club’s soul was being ripped out”.

“My decision to resign was not taken lightly,” she added.

World number two Coco Gauff beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-2 6-4 to book her place in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open.

The two players had progressed to the last 16 in contrasting ways, with Gauff having won her only match in straight sets before a walkover against Dayana Yastremska in last round.

Bronzetti, on the other hand, had come through in three sets in her previous three rounds and the world number 61 quickly found herself 3-0 down.

Gauff was broken in the fifth game but it proved a brief blip as she went on to win the opening set in 33 minutes.

The American went 2-0 up in the second set but suffered another lapse when she was broken to love by the Italian in the third game.

Bronzetti raised her game and had a break point at 2-2, only to send a backhand return long as Gauff managed to hold.

“For the most part I played aggressive,” said Gauff, who won the Cincinnati Open in 2023 before going on to win the US Open that year.

“Maybe there were a couple that were a little bit passive in some of those games but it’s tough – the balls are super light and she wasn’t giving me much pace.

“I was just trying to play controlled but also aggressive and, for the most part, I think I did well.”

The Hundred women’s competition, Lord’s

Trent Rockets 149-6 (100 balls): Sciver-Brunt 51* (29); Gray 4-19

London Spirit 116 (95 balls): Knott 33 (25); Gordon 4-15

Rockets won by 33 runs

Defending women’s champions London Spirit’s winning streak came to an end as they suffered a 33-run defeat by Trent Rockets in The Hundred at Lord’s.

Set a target of 150 to win, Spirit slumped to 116 all out as spinner Kirstie Gordon starred with 4-19 for the visitors, who picked up their first win this year.

Kira Chathli and Georgia Redmayne added a patient 26 for the first wicket before Spirit slipped to 70-6, including in-form Australia batter Grace Harris departing for just eight.

Fellow Australian Charli Knott’s 33 was the only knock to rescue Spirit from a complete capitulation as spinners Ash Gardner and Gordon bowled beautifully in tandem, the former finishing with 2-14.

Earlier, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt set up the Rockets’ challenging 149-6, scoring an unbeaten 51 from 29 balls, after Bryony Smith bludgeoned 42 from 23 at the top of the order.

Smith added 62 in just 35 balls with fellow opener Nat Wraith, but Rockets were pegged back as both were dismissed in the space of three balls by seamer Eva Gray.

Sciver-Brunt combined with Australia all-rounder Gardner for a stand of 60, though a collapse of four wickets for 11 runs at the death saw Spirit fight back strongly as Gray finished with impressive figures of 4-19.

But Sciver-Brunt reached her fifty with a six off Charlie Dean from the last ball of the Rockets’ innings, pushing them to the competitive total and adding to a difficult day for the Spirit captain as she finished with figures of 0-40 from just 15 balls.

After consecutive defeats, Rockets needed performances from their senior players to get their campaign on track and Sciver-Brunt and Gardner delivered.

They were helped by Smith and Wraith’s dynamic start, punishing Spirit’s bowlers for bowling too short and wide. Smith was the aggressor, with seven fours and a six, before she was brilliantly caught on the boundary by England’s Dani Gibson.

Sciver-Brunt delivered a masterclass in the middle phase as she picked the gaps perfectly, manipulating the field with her trademark sweeps and unveiling a glorious lofted drive over extra cover for six off Dean.

However, she was starved of the strike after Gardner departed, as Gray removed Heather Graham and Emma Jones in consecutive deliveries.

Spirit’s resurgence, led by Gray and backed up by fantastic catches from Gibson, Glenn and Dean, kept them in the game after Rockets had threatened a much higher total, but they were unable to find any fluency with the bat, raising concerns about their dependency on Harris.

Northern Superchargers’ women will be looking to keep the pressure on the top two as they take on Birmingham Phoenix at 15:00 BST.

The men’s game follows at 18:30 BST with Phoenix hoping to gather momentum after they beat leaders Oval Invincibles in their most recent game on Tuesday.