Louis Rees-Zammit highlights differences between rugby and NFL as Welsh star claims he’s ‘QUICKER’ than before

Louis Rees-Zammit has claimed to be “quicker” now than he was during his stint in America when he attempted to break into the NFL.

The Welsh international was looking noticeably larger on his return from the States, and had previously admitted in an interview that he had slowed down as a result. The impact of his weight gain has not proved to be permanent, however, telling the hosts of The Rugby Pod that he has slimmed down since arriving back in England.

Joining Dan Biggar, Jim Hamilton and Andy Goode on the podcast, the electric winger described in detail the reasoning behind his return to rugby, the changes he’s needed to make since returning, and what the future holds.

On his physical changes, Rees-Zammit said: “I did that interview, and I said I’ve put on 10 kilos. I said I was running at 23 miles per hour, and my record was like 24, so everyone was like, ‘Oh, he’s bigger and he’s slower,’ but now I’ve lost a lot of that weight.

“The fat that was on me was purely because I wasn’t doing any conditioning over there [America]. So I’m back now to probably about 98/99 kilos, and I’m definitely quicker than I was before.

“I’m pretty happy with where I’m at, at the minute, and I’ve been doing a load of conditioning in the past three or four weeks to try and get match fit.

“I’m definitely faster, and I’ve filled out a bit up top, because I used to always have like a little kid’s upper body, and all the boys used to let me know about it as well. So I’m glad I’ve kind of filled out a little bit.”

Rassie Erasmus: Springboks ‘laugh’ at Matt Williams after outspoken pundit’s latest Bomb Squad jibe

American Football vs Rugby

Questions have been asked about the former Gloucester player’s physical growth in America, but Rees-Zammit said the muscle growth is all-natural: “The programs out there, because the athletes are so big and strong and fast, everyone mentions ‘boys do steroids and stuff out there’, but genuinely, our programs in the gym, some days we would have 20 exercises, and the gym session would be about an hour and a half. Like, it is nonstop, and we’d be gyming every day.

“That’s probably not something you can do in rugby with how your body feels after a game and how much you have to put yourself through.

“You have a day off in the middle of the week, but in American football, in the NFL, we didn’t really have that. So it was a lot of gym and a lot of short, sharp speed work.

“So yeah, I’d say the programs out there were just basically get big and strong because you have to, ultimately. Even if you’re a wide receiver, it’s not about how fast you can run; you have to block big boys as well, so you have to be physically strong enough to do that.

“The programs were completely different out there compared to what we do in rugby. But I guess that’s kind of needed for that sport, and what we do is needed for rugby.”

The Welsh saviour

Since Rees-Zammit left rugby for American Football, Wales haven’t done great on the international stage. Just one win and a record 18 consecutive losses have been recorded since Rees-Zammit last pulled on a Welsh shirt. Wales need a saviour, but the returning star knows that he will need to be in top form to make a real impact.

“To make it into that team, I know I have to perform so well for Bristol. We’ve got about four or five games before that autumn squad gets picked, so I know I’m going to have to perform very well to get into that team. But I’m in a team that suits my style and we play great rugby, so I’m really looking forward to the Premiership season,” he said.

Speaking about his first two matches for Bristol, the 24-year-old said: “My lungs were feeling that a lot, but it was great to get out there and play a bit of rugby, and then went to Kingsholm and got to play a lot more.

“Now I’ve got to have a really good few games, and hopefully, come selection time, you always want to play for your country, so that’s the thing I want to do. I want to go back, play for Wales and try and contribute as much as possible.”

READ MORE: Louis Rees-Zammit punished for his role in ‘horrible’ fight on try-scoring return to Gloucester