Gloucester have moved to secure the future of their 18-year-old wing Louis Rees-Zammit, who is expected to be named in Wales’s squad for the Six Nations on Wednesday.
A product of the club’s academy system after he started studying at Hartpury College as a 16-year-old, Rees-Zammit has signed a long-term contract with Gloucester. As he has yet to be capped by Wales he will not be snared by the rule that prevents the national head coach from picking players based outside the country who have not won at least 60 caps. Gloucester did not reveal the length of the contract, but if it includes an option for an extension after two or three years then that would also leave him free of the 60-cap threshold if he took it up.
“I am delighted with the senior squad long-term contract,” said Rees-Zammit, who has scored nine tries in as many starts this season in all competitions. “I love being at Gloucester and I am enjoying every second of being part of such a great squad. It’s been such an exciting year for me, and I am grateful for the support of all the staff, players and fans.”
Rees-Zammit, who is the nephew of the former Cardiff, Pontypool and Wales B full-back Paul Rees, will qualify for England this year on residency and has been sounded out by the World Cup finalists’ head coach, Eddie Jones. But he wants to play for the country where he was born and raised. “My dream is to represent Wales at an international level and I just want to keep working hard to achieve this goal, along with helping Gloucester reach our ambitions for success,” he said.
Wales’s squad will not include the Bath centre Jamie Roberts, whose 97 international caps include three for the Lions. He has been linked with an imminent move to South Africa to play for the Stormers, whose Super Rugby campaign starts in two weeks.
One former Wales international definitely on his way to the southern hemisphere is Mark Jones, who has signed a two-year contract to become the Crusaders’ defence coach in New Zealand.