Six Nations LIVE: Wales and Scotland name squads after Louis Rees-Zammit shockingly quits rugby for NFL

Louis Rees-Zammit explains his decision to quit rugby for the NFL

Louis Rees-Zammit has done an interview with his club, Gloucester, to explain his decision to quit rugby for the NFL.

He revealed his father’s love of American football and “continuing his legacy” played a massive part in him deciding to quit rugby. He made the announcement literally minutes before Warren Gatland announced his Six Nations squad to leave the rugby world shocked but claims that it’s “just the timing”.

“The international player pathway is in January and it just so happens the Six Nations is in February. I think now is the perfect time, with my age and picking up a new sport. It’s nothing about rugby, it’s an ambition to make my dream come true and play in the National Football League.

“As a little boy, my dad always brought me up to be a big NFL fan. He used to play American football. It’s about continuing his legacy and going beyond, making him proud. It’s the sport he grew up loving. I want to do that and make him as proud as I can.

“I fly to Florida on Friday and then it’s a 10-week intensive camp. At the end of the 10 weeks I basically find out if I’m good enough and if a team wants me. If so, the season starts in August. So, I’m looking forward to the next 10 weeks and making my dreams become a reality.”

Luke Baker16 January 2024 14:45

Warren Gatland discusses captaincy decision

Here’s what Gatland has to say about choosing Dafydd Jenkins as his captain. Jenkins has been incredibly impressive leading Exeter this season and injuries had left the coach short of options.

Gatland explained: “We’ve been incredibly impressed with Daf in terms of his professionalism and how he prepares.

“It’s a great opportunity for Daf, he’s captained Exeter on a number of occasions, he’s a well-respected member of the squad.

“I rang and spoke to him and he was absolutely delighted to accept the role and I’m sure that he’ll do a great job and get a huge amount of support from the rest of the squad.

“I think people look at the squad and what we’re trying to develop over the next three years. We tried to be consistent with the thinking from the World Cup and the young captains we named there (Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake). Unfortunately, they’re both injured.

“But I see Daf as one for the future. I see him as a definite starter in three years. The average age of the squad is 25. We want it to be mid-to-late 20s by the next World Cup.”

Luke Baker16 January 2024 14:25

Warren Gatland explains his Wales squad choices

A bit of reaction from Warren Gatland explaining the decisions he made in his Wales squad announced today. It’s a young group, which Gatland acknowledges.

He said: “There’s a little bit of experience in terms of players like George North and Gareth Davies – we wanted a little bit of continuity with that and we’re also thinking about the next RWC cycle and giving some youngsters an opportunity, some youngsters that are not featuring regularly for their club sides.

“I’m really excited about those youngsters and that opportunity to develop them over the next four years. The average age of the squad is about 25 compared to a little bit older during RWC and then you look at this next cycle and you want to get those players to mid to late 20s in terms of experience and age.

“This first game is incredibly important to us and those first two weeks in terms of putting in the hard work and bringing the squad together. I hope people can see that what we’re trying to do with the team is to develop some of these youngsters to help support the regions I think that’s really, really important in terms of us working together as a collective going forward – developing the young players but also preparing for a good Six Nations and for the future.”

Luke Baker16 January 2024 14:04

Scotland name four uncapped plauers in Six Nations squad including ex-England prop

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has included uncapped quartet Alec Hepburn, Will Hurd, Arron Reed and Harry Paterson in a 39-man squad for the upcoming Six Nations.

Loosehead prop Hepburn, who previously won six England caps, qualifies through his father, who was born in Scotland. Sale Sharks flyer Reed similarly qualifies through his father, while Leicester Tigers’ loosehead Hurd represented Scotland at under-20 level and Paterson, who can play both at wing and full-back, also played in the age-grade side and is a Scotland 7s cap.

Northampton back Rory Hutchinson returns to the fold for the first time since appearing in two Tests on the tour to Argentina in 2022, while Gloucester stand-off Adam Hastings is back in after missing the World Cup last autumn.

Glasgow trio Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey and Kyle Steyn have also made the selection despite their recent injury lay-offs. Edinburgh pair Hamish Watson and Dave Cherry – both of whom went to the World Cup – are the two most notable absentees.

Forwards: Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh), Josh Bayliss (Bath), Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors), Andy Christie (Saracens), Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh), Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors), Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Alec Hepburn* (Exeter Chiefs), Will Hurd* (Leicester Tigers), Johnny Matthews (Glasgow Warriors), WP Nel (Edinburgh), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh), Sam Skinner (Edinburgh), George Turner (Glasgow Warriors), Glen Young (Edinburgh)

Backs: Adam Hastings (Gloucester Rugby), Ben Healy (Edinburgh), George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse), Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors), Harry Paterson* (Edinburgh), Ali Price (Edinburgh), Cameron Redpath (Bath), Arron Reed* (Sale Sharks), Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Warriors), Finn Russell (Bath), Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh), Ben White (Toulon)

*denotes uncapped player

Luke Baker16 January 2024 13:38

Scotland name squad for Six Nations

Scotland have now officially joined the party. Here’s their squad for the upcoming Six Nations

Luke Baker16 January 2024 13:24

Wales name five uncapped players in squad for Six Nations

Let’s take a bit of a closer look at that Wales squad that Warren Gatland did name in the aftermath of the Louis Rees-Zammit stunner.

There were five uncapped players in the Six Nations squad - Cardiff quartet Cameron Winnett, Evan Lloyd, Alex Mann and Mackenzie Martin, plus Bath prop Archie Griffin.

The entire squad was a 34-strong group, with Wales kicking off their campaign against Scotland on February 3.

Exeter’s 21-year-old lock Dafydd Jenkins, meanwhile, has been appointed as captain with World Cup skipper Jac Morgan likely to miss the whole tournament after undergoing knee surgery, and there is a recall for Cardiff flanker James Botham, grandson of cricket great Sir Ian Botham.

Other injury absentees include No 8 Taulupe Faletau, hooker Dewi Lake and Exeter forward Christ Tshiunza. And there are no places for experienced campaigners such as props Tomas Francis and Dillon Lewis.

Forwards: Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Corey Domachowski (Cardiff), Kemsley Mathias (Scarlets), Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Elliot Dee (Dragons), Evan Lloyd* (Cardiff), Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff), Archie Griffin* (Bath), Leon Brown (Dragons), Will Rowlands (Racing 92), Adam Beard (Ospreys), Dafydd Jenkins (captain, Exeter), Teddy Williams (Cardiff), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons), Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers), Alex Mann* (Cardiff), James Botham (Cardiff), Mackenzie Martin* (Cardiff), Taine Basham (Dragons).

Backs: Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Tomos Williams (Cardiff), Kieran Hardy (Scarlets), Sam Costelow (Scarlets), Ioan Lloyd (Scarlets), Cai Evans (Dragons), Nick Tompkins (Saracens), Owen Watkin (Ospreys), George North (Ospreys), Mason Grady (Cardiff), Joe Roberts (Scarlets), Josh Adams (Cardiff), Rio Dyer (Dragons), Cameron Winnett* (Cardiff), Tom Rogers (Scarlets).

*Denotes uncapped player

Luke Baker16 January 2024 13:20

Wales star Louis Rees-Zammit stunningly quits rugby for the NFL

Wales star Louis Rees-Zammit has shocked the rugby world by quitting the sport with immediate effect to pursue a career in the NFL.

With the start of the Six Nations just a couple of weeks away and Wales naming their squad for the tournament this afternoon, flying winger Rees-Zammit stunningly announced that he is stepping away from rugby and joining the NFL’s International Player Pathway.

The 22-year-old burst on to the rugby scene as a teenager and has scored 14 tries in 31 caps for Wales, including five at last year’s Rugby World Cup, as well as becoming the youngest player to be selected for the British and Irish Lions since 1959 when he was named in the squad for the 2021 tour to South Africa aged just 20 years and 93 days.

But his club Gloucester released a statement confirming his immediate departure and that he would move to Florida to try and make it as an NFL player.

Luke Baker16 January 2024 13:15

Wales Six Nations squad

OK, Wales have now named their squad for the Six Nations and Louis Rees-Zammit is unsurprisingly not among the group, given that stunning bit of news

Forwards: Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Corey Domachowski (Cardiff), Kemsley Mathias (Scarlets), Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Elliot Dee (Dragons), Evan Lloyd* (Cardiff), Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff), Archie Griffin* (Bath), Leon Brown (Dragons), Will Rowlands (Racing 92), Adam Beard (Ospreys), Dafydd Jenkins (captain, Exeter), Teddy Williams (Cardiff), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons), Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers), Alex Mann* (Cardiff), James Botham (Cardiff), Mackenzie Martin* (Cardiff), Taine Basham (Dragons).

Backs: Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Tomos Williams (Cardiff), Kieran Hardy (Scarlets), Sam Costelow (Scarlets), Ioan Lloyd (Scarlets), Cai Evans (Dragons), Nick Tompkins (Saracens), Owen Watkin (Ospreys), George North (Ospreys), Mason Grady (Cardiff), Joe Roberts (Scarlets), Josh Adams (Cardiff), Rio Dyer (Dragons), Cameron Winnett* (Cardiff), Tom Rogers (Scarlets).

*Denotes uncapped player

Luke Baker16 January 2024 13:02

Louis Rees-Zammit to quit rugby for the NFL

Wow! Fair to say this is a bombshell and we may have just found out why the Wales squad naming has been delayed...

Wales, Gloucester and Lions star winger Louis Rees-Zammit is quitting rugby to pursue his NFL dream! Fair to say no one saw this coming...

Luke Baker16 January 2024 12:43

Will Immanuel Feyi-Waboso get a call?

Another name on everybody’s lips in terms of Wales squad speculation ahead of the Six Nations has been Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. The 21-year-old winger has been in electric form for a resurgent Exeter this season, lighting up the Gallagher Premiership and Champions Cup.

He’s played his age-grade rugby for Wales but is also England-qualified and apparently has opted to switch to England at senior level.

It’s complicated as, if he did represent Wales at senior level, he would have to leave the Chiefs and move to a Welsh club when his current contract expires as he won’t pass the 25-cap eligibility criteria to be allowed to play outside the country and represent the national side. But in addition to his professional rugby career he’s also studying medicine at Exeter University and doesn’t want to give up his studies.

So it seems Warren Gatland’s loss may be Stever Borthwick’s gain.

Luke Baker16 January 2024 12:24