Wales rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit is given a prominent role in new Netflix documentary ‘Full Contact’ trailer – despite sensationally quitting the sport to become an NFL player

Wales’ Louis Rees-Zammit has been featured in the trailer for rugby’s new Netflix documentary ‘Full Contact’, despite leaving the sport to pursue a career in the NFL.

Rees-Zammit announced his shock decision on Tuesday after ‘careful consideration’, with confirmation of his career change coming less than three weeks before the start of the Six Nations.

But the life-changing call hasn’t stopped him from appearing in the trailer for Full Contact, out on January 24.

The documentary, which was put together by the producers of Formula 1: drive to surviveoffers fans a behind-the-scenes look at last year’s Six Nations Championship, and Rees-Zammit has been given a prominent role.

The 22-year-old is seen running towards an England tackler within the opening seconds of the trailer, and is then jokingly asked by a teammate in a separate clip: “So, what’s it like to be golden?”

He is featured in the trailer despite sensationally leaving the sport to pursue an NFL career

Rees-Zammit can’t help but laugh at the question, but it shows how highly rated the youngster was, having scored 14 tries in 31 caps since making his Wales debut as a teenager in 2020.

Rees-Zammit also went on the British & Irish Lions tour in 2021 and played for Wales at the World Cup in France last year, where Warren Gatland’s side won all their group matches before losing to Argentina in the quarter-finals.

He was expected to be one of Wales’ star players for years to come, but he has now turned his back on the sport in a way that surprised everyone, including Netflix.

Gatland named his Six Nations squad on Tuesday and admitted he was completely blindsided by Rees-Zammit’s decision, having only received a call from the player shortly before his media appearance.

“I heard about it about an hour ago,” he said Tuesday afternoon. ‘I probably spoke to Louis half an hour ago.

‘It’s a bit of a shock. Gloucester had contacted us at about 12pm and I spoke to George Skivington (the club’s rugby director). Things have happened quite quickly in the last 24 hours.

“Louis said he had an appointment on Sunday to go to NFL training camp. It’s something he’s always dreamed of having the opportunity to do. He slept on it on Monday, went to Gloucester and didn’t really think about whether it would go ahead. His lawyers told him not to tell anyone.

“The paperwork has been approved and signed and Gloucester have agreed to release him in recent hours. He called me to let me know and give me that information, and thank you so much for his time at the World Cup and how much he enjoyed it.

“He said he’s 22 and he’s always dreamed of playing in the NFL. He feels that if he doesn’t take advantage of that opportunity now, it may not happen in the future. I wished him all the best. I have always been a big believer in players seizing the opportunities presented to them. I said, if it doesn’t work out, what are your next steps? He said he would come back to rugby.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland admitted Rees-Zammit’s decision came as a shock but wished the winger luck on his move to the US.

“He just feels there’s an opportunity for him and a time to do that. There’s never a dull moment in Welsh rugby! Gloucester is in exactly the same boat as us. They had only just gone to the board. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster the past few hours.

“He made that decision. I want to wish him all the best, as I would with all players and coaches. I honestly hope he succeeds. If that is a dream of his, it will be something he will always regret if he doesn’t take the opportunity.”

It remains to be seen how much Rees-Zammit will feature in the documentary when it is released in full later this month, but Wales now have a big task to fill the void left by one of their best players.

They start their Six Nations campaign against Scotland at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on February 3.