Ex-Rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit to NFL to join Taylor Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce at Kansas City Chiefs

The former Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit is set to have his NFL dreams come true when he signs for the 2024 Super Bowl Champions, Kansas City Chiefs on Friday. The 23-year-old former winger and full-back shocked the world of rugby when he announced earlier this year he would be hanging up his boots in favour of pursuing a career in American Football.

Rees-Zammit completed a ten-week training camp as part of the league's International Player Pathway programme and, after meeting with several NFL teams, US reports indicate he will now team up with the back-to-back Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs. Bleacher Report's NFL insider Jordan Schultz noted on Wednesday that the former full-back's upcoming future with the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Taylor Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce is due to be confirmed on Friday. The Mirror also writes that the contract is set to be worth $900,000 (£703,900).

It was also understood that Rees-Zammit had attracted interest from New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos. It is, however, the four-time Super Bowl champions that are set to secure the 23-year-old's services. Rees-Zammit hugely impressed the scouts at last week's combine for the international players on his programme and ran a 40-yard dash in a time of 4.46 seconds.

The Welsh star is expected to train in a hybrid role as he is suited to both wide receiver and running-back, despite at 6"3' tall being taller than most conventional running backs. His statistics in the vertical jump and broad jump were underwhelming on NFL Pro Day but if the deal with the Chiefs on Friday is confirmed, Andy Reid's franchise will offer him priceless training sessions over the summer.

Ahead of his move to America, Rees-Zammit said of his hopes for his NFL career: "In terms of a position, in rugby, I want the ball at all times

"So, I think it would be somewhere on the offense, running back, receiver, a bit of a hybrid. Whatever I get told, I will do. My main attribute in rugby was my speed and that's very transferable. I would like to say I have good hands and I don't drop the ball that often.

"But this is a different sport and the ball comes at you very fast, so I understand that's going to take a bit of work. There are a lot of footwork skills I have and footwork is massive in American football. There are going to be a lot of different skills but, at the same time, I can improve on what I've got already. The quicker I can learn the game, the better for me because then I can show everyone what I can do."

Until his shock move stateside, Rees-Zammit made 69 appearances for Gloucester Rugby, scoring nearly 200 points in his six years there and made 31 appearances for the Welsh national side, scoring 70 points in the process. He received his first senior international call-up for the 2020 Six Nations Championship and would go on to become the youngest player to receive a British and Irish Lions selection since 1959 when, at 20 years and 93 days, he was named in the 2021 tour to South Africa.

If the reports are to be realised, Rees-Zammit will begin his off-season workouts in April. Rookie training camps start the following month before full training camps start in July. The teams would then usually confirm their final 53-player rosters by the end of August and the Chiefs will then begin their title defence on 5 September.