As Louis Rees-Zammit spoke to the media for the first time as a Bristol player at the club’s state-of-the-art training centre on Tuesday, work was already well underway at the Bears on how best to benefit from his arrival.
Rees-Zammit is a huge talent on and off the field. His rugby return from the NFL is good news for both the player and his new employers as the ambitious English club outfit looks to expand not only at home, but abroad. The USA, in particular, remains a target area for growth.
After their signing of women’s superstar Ilona Maher last season, Rees-Zammit’s arrival at Ashton Gate is the next step in Bristol’s bid to crack America.
‘Nothing is off limits,’ Bristol chief executive Tom Tainton told Daily Mail Sport. ‘We are a bold club that pushes boundaries and likes to take risks. The US market is a really exciting one for us. The way we play fits Louis’ brand. It’s a really great fit. Louis represents what we are all about – box office.’
Rees-Zammit might never have played an NFL game during his 18 months in America. But his stints with Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars have only enhanced his already significant commercial appeal. The 24-year-old and Bristol are a match made in heaven, as the player himself admitted. ‘Rugby is so big all around the world, it’s just about how we commercialise it. I don’t think we’ve done an amazing job with that, to be honest,’ Rees-Zammit said.
‘In America, their marketing is probably the best in the world. I knew Bristol had a great media and commercial team.
Louis Rees-Zammit may have returned from the NFL but his new club Bristol Bears have sights firmly set on America
During his spell across the pond Rees-Zammit was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars but didn’t play a minute
The Wales star is a massive talent and at the fore of Bristol’s strategy to boost global appeal
‘The game (rugby) has got to continue to grow and we’ve got to be able to commercialise it so fans in America love it as well.
‘It’s one of the best sports in the world to watch. I just don’t think it’s been that well-presented over there. ‘I know if people watched it there, they would fall in love with it.’
When Bristol confirmed Rees-Zammit’s signing last week, their season ticket sales exploded and the retro Bears shirt he wore for his unveiling immediately sold out. But Pat Lam’s side have broader ambitions. They are well aware Rees-Zammit has the potential to take them to another level both on the grass and in the boardroom, as Maher – the world’s most-followed rugby player – did last term.
Welshman Rees-Zammit will undoubtedly put bums on seats for Bristol’s ‘Big Day Out’ game with Harlequins at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium next March.
While in the USA, Rees-Zammit brushed shoulders with the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In his own words, he hopes playing for Pat Lam’s Bristol will make him ‘one of the best players in the world.’
Tainton added: ‘We moved really quickly to sign Louis. We knew we didn’t have time to dither. ‘Louis brings with him a commercial value and point of difference not many other players bring. Ilona set the tone for what is possible here.
‘When she left, we were looking at the next opportunity to help get Bristol in front of a mainstream audience. There are not many rugby players who can talk to a global audience. Louis is one. He’s young, good looking and articulate. There are lots of interesting ways we can tap into the USA and other markets. Rugby is a global sport and Louis is a global icon. We talk a lot in rugby about growing the game through our players. Louis is open to that.
‘We knew the media launch would be critical, as important as the signing itself. We worked closely with Louis on that, even down to the social media platforms we’d use and how. Louis is a refreshingly unique player because he understands growing rugby is about entertainment.
Last season Bristol recruited the world’s most followed women’s player, USA’s Ilona Maher
Rees-Zammit is believed to have turned down more lucrative deals to move to a side that suits both his style of play and his off-pitch ambitions
‘There’s been huge immediate impact. What I’m excited about his how we can build on that throughout the season. We want to engage fans in the USA from afar. That might not mean them coming to Ashton Gate, but if they buy a Bristol shirt or want to watch our games because Louis is playing, that can only be a good thing for us. The more rugby can be integrated into the USA now before the 2031 World Cup there, the better. Players like Louis can do that.’
Rees-Zammit is understood to have turned down more lucrative deals on offer elsewhere to sign for Bristol, predominantly because the Bears align perfectly with his playing style and personal brand objectives. He will be back on a rugby field for the start of the 2025/26 season, first with Bristol and then Wales for their November Tests with his trademark pace and eye for the try line set to thrill crowds wherever he goes.
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There can be no doubt rugby as a whole will benefit from his comeback.
‘It says a lot about Louis that he wanted to come to the best rugby programme,’ said Bristol’s head of recruitment Gethin Watts, who led on the deal.
Tainton added: ‘This is why I’m in rugby – for moments like this. Players like Louis are what the sport is all about – excitement.’
In Rees-Zammit, Bristol, Wales and English club rugby have a world-class player back to do what he does best. But his impact could yet go far bigger than just these shores. Watch this space. The man they call ‘Rees-Lightning’ is set to catch alight once again.