Louis Rees-Zammit: Difference between revisions

Rees-Zammit broke into the Gloucester senior team in the 2019–20 season, becoming the club's youngest ever [[Premiership Rugby|Premiership]] player at 18 years and 70 days.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2023 |title=Louis Rees-Zammit becomes Gloucester Rugby's youngest Premiership player |url=https://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/content/louis-rees-zammit-becomes-gloucester-rugbys-youngest-premiership-player-26466 |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=Gloucester Rugby |language=en}}</ref> He also became Gloucester's youngest European player,<ref name=bbc>{{cite web| url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c51ymj4n9jyo| website=bbc.com| title= Louis Rees-Zammit: The Welshman chasing his NFL dream|date=23 August 2024}}</ref> and youngest European try scorer in 2019.{{fact|date=September 2024}} He went on to score two tries against [[Worcester Warriors]] during a 36–3 win in December 2019,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baldock |first=Andrew |date=21 December 2019 |title=Gloucester's teenage sensation Louis Rees-Zammit continues remarkable rise by inspiring win over Worcester |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/club-rugby/gloucester-vs-worcester-result-louis-rees-zammit-try-wales-england-qualified-a9256071.html |access-date=22 December 2019 |website=The Independent}}</ref> and later the same month became the first 18-year-old to score a [[hat-trick]] of tries during a 33–26 loss to [[Northampton Saints|Northampton]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Iles |first=Robert |date=2019-12-28 |title=Rees-Zammit set a new Premiership record in Gloucester loss |url=https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/louis-rees-zammit-set-new-3686714 |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=Gloucestershire Live |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Abbandonato |first=Paul |date=2019-12-28 |title=Welsh teen ace grabs hat-trick of tries to give Pivac a nudge |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/welsh-teen-sensation-louis-rees-17483586 |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=Wales Online |language=en}}</ref> His performances won him the Premiership Player of the Month Award in December 2019,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Woolford |first=Anthony |date=2020-01-08 |title=Welsh teen's charity gesture after being named English rugby's player of month |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/louis-rees-zammit-named-english-17533343 |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=Wales Online |language=en}}</ref> and he ended the season being awarded Gloucester's young player of the year for 2019-20, scoring 10 Premiership tries and 3 [[European Rugby Champions Cup|Heineken Champions Cup]] in the pool stage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/content/louis-rees-zammit-named-2019-20-young-player-of-the-year|title=Louis Rees-Zammit named 2019-20 Young Player of the Year| website=gloucesterrugby.co.uk| access-date =21 September 2024}}</ref>

On 13 January 2020, Rees-Zammit signed his first professional contract with Gloucester, securing him to the club on a long-term deal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/2020/01/13/louis-rees-zammit-extends-his-contract-at-gloucester-rugby/|publisher=Gloucester Rugby|title=LOUIS REES-ZAMMIT EXTENDS HIS CONTRACT AT GLOUCESTER RUGBY|date=13 January 2020|access-date=27 August 2020|archive-date=16 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116135528/https://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/2020/01/13/louis-rees-zammit-extends-his-contract-at-gloucester-rugby/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He ended his season with 12 tries in 15 appearances for the [[2019–20 Premiership Rugby|2019–20 Premiership]] side.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Halliwell |first=Mark |date=2020-07-27 |title=Gloucester star was 'devastated' not to get a Wales cap in the 2020 Six Nations |url=https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/rugby/louis-rees-zammit-devastated-not-4368327 |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=Gloucestershire Live |language=en}}</ref> With continued form for the English rugby club, he was selected by [[British and Irish Lions]] coach [[Warren Gatland]] to feature in their 2021 South African tour, he then scored 2 tries against Premiership rivals [[Northampton Saints]] in the game following the call up in May of that year. However, at the end of the [[2020–21 Premiership Rugby]] season, Gloucester ended the year second from bottom in the table.<ref name=bbc2022/><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/56996525| website=bbc.com| title=Premiership: Northampton 7-31 Gloucester - Louis Rees-Zammit with two tries| date=8 May 2021| access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref>