Rees-Zammit was told he'd never play for Wales

In a recent interview with Rugby Journal, young Welsh star Louis Rees-Zammit revealed how a former coach told him he’d never play for Wales if he left Cardiff to join the English leagues. 

At just 20 years of age, Rees-Zammit has exploded onto the rugby scene with his devastating speed and finishing skills – so much so that British & Irish Lions Head Coach Warren Gatland saw fit to include the youngster in his squad to tour South Africa this year. 

Despite his coach’s warnings, Rees-Zammit elected to study at Hartpury College and rose through the ranks until he turned out for Gloucester –– his current club.his current 

"He told me I would never play for Wales. 

"It was when I was 16 and had decided to go to Hartpury because I didn’t want to go to a college in Wales. 

"I did go and look at a few colleges around Wales, but there was no comparison – it was the facilities, the social side. 

"Then I went to a Cardiff Blues game and he was there, and he walked up to me and said: 'That’s going to cost you a Welsh cap', and walked off. 

"I was a 16-year-old. I just thought: 'Have I made right decision?" 

Rees-Zammit currently holds 9 Welsh caps. 

"When I was in the Six Nations camp later, he [the coach] came to two sessions and was shaking everyone’s hand and I just avoided him – I’ve not spoken to him since."