Culture Society, Identity and Belonging
When the Welsh rugby union player Louis Rees-Zammit suddenly announced this year that he was quitting the sport to try out for the National Football League (NFL) in the United States, his teammates, coach and supporters were devastated. And it seemed a tremendous gamble to give up a stellar career in one sport for no more than the chance of success in another. But that gamble has paid off. Last week it was announced that following a trial he would join the Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, having also attracted serious interest from the Denver Broncos, the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets. Should Rees-Zammit make the Chiefs’ final 53-man roster, his minimum salary as an NFL rookie would be $750,000 a year – three times as much as he was earning playing for Wales and Gloucester rugby teams. Joining the Chiefs would not only place him with the most valuable player of the last two Super Bowls, Patrick Mahomes, but also with Mr Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce.