What next for Rees-Zammit after return to rugby?

Late on Thursday night, Louis Rees-Zammit said, “It’s time to come home,” but it hasn’t been foretold where the Wales wing’s next destination will be.

The speedster will return to rugby on the eve of the 2024 Six Nations to compete against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, and then Jacksonville.

With new Wales manager Steve Tandy given a lift before he even clocks in at Principality Stadium, the 24-year-old will return in top shape and be in demand.

August may seem like the wrong time to be looking for a club, but Rees-Zammit’s skills and profile suggest that many people will be eager to fit their budgets.

Richie Rees, a former Wales scrumhalf, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, “He’s still very young.”

He “is explosive, and his repeated speed, his lateral movement is one of the best in the industry, and that’s why he recently traveled with the British and Irish Lions.”

Rees-Zammit can play outside of Wales and still be eligible for Test rugby thanks to the Welsh Rugby Union’s (WRU) selection policy.

Before making his move to American football, he was linked with several Top 14 clubs and had connections to both Japan and France.

Gloucester, where he made his name with stunning displays at Kingsholm, would appear to be a good fit on the playing front, but there will be salary cap issues.

The news that Red Bull are planning to invest in Newcastle might have caused Rees-Zammit to start groggily.

There is a fast track at Kingston Park, and the Falcons might be interested in hiring a poster boy.

R360, a potential breakaway franchise league, also wants to entice superstars with a goal of a first season between September and December 2026.

Rees-Zammit has made his rugby return at a time when the WRU might reduce its roster from four to three or two.

Without the assistance of a governing body with its own financial difficulties, Dragons, Ospreys, Scarlets, and Cardiff, which are owned by WRU, will not be able to compete with other clubs.

After Rees-Zammit left the capital and headed to Hartpury College, his uncle Paul Rees played for the Blue and Blacks, so it would be natural to move to The Arms Park.

At the start of the year, Dragons chairman David Wright made a promise to at least one marquee signing for fans at a Q&amp, A, but that promise has since changed at Rodney Parade.

A return to a Welsh club would seem unlikely at this early stage unless Rees-Zammit actually wants it for personal reasons.

Former Ospreys and Wales winger Alex Cuthbert stated on the Radio Wales phone-in program, “Not in a million years is he going to come to Wales.”

“It’s unfortunate because we’d love to have him back, he’s going to bring people to stadiums,” he said.

The NFL is extremely difficult to crack, so it didn’t go wrong as such.

Rees-Zammit deserves praise for trying his luck at a new sport and aiming to achieve new heights in rugby.

Prior to moving to wide receiver, former elusive Wasps, Gloucester, and England winger Christian Wade tried to make it with the Buffalo Bills while he was a member of the NFL’s International Player Pathway.

He signed with the Chiefs at the beginning of the year, but he was fired after having a difficult pre-season game in 2024. He then rejoined the Jaguars for practice.

With the end of their 18-test losing streak in Japan, Wales now has a fresh start under Tandy and Rees-Zammit, which offers them another chance.

When his club’s destination and anticipated return to action are announced, it will become clearer whether he is ready for an immediate comeback in the autumn series against Argentina, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Former Wales flanker Josh Navidi said, “We know what he can do on the field and he won’t have lost his speed.”

Maybe his conditioning isn’t like NFL, but after a month or two of work, he’s back to where he was. He’s probably driven to get stuck in and disprove something.

On their summer tour, Wales chose Josh Adams, Tom Rogers, and Keelan Giles, while Rio Dyer, Ellis Mee, Josh Hathaway, and Mason Grady hope to make it back in November.

Rees-Zammit’s commercial success, however, makes the WRU eager to return in time to help them deal with the economy.