A call from Gloucester head coach George Skivington minutes before the squad was due to be revealed alerted Gatland to the fact Louis Rees-Zammit had successfully negotiated a release from his contract and had decided to have a go at American Football.
Thirty minutes later, Gatland took a call from the player himself as he explained the breakneck speed behind his transfer from rugby union into a different sport with immediate effect.
The best laid plans of mice and men! If it wasn’t quite back to the drawing board for Gatland, it was still a hell of a shock.
“More shocked than disappointed” – Gatland on LRZ news
“I was shocked more than disappointed. There is never a dull moment in Welsh rugby, and this was thrown at us an hour or so ago,” said Gatland as he announced his 34-man Six Nations squad.
“Louis had an approach on Sunday, things moved very quickly, and the paperwork was all agreed to allow Gloucester to release him.
“He was outstanding for us at the World Cup. He never missed a training session and I thought he was playing really well.
“He rang me at about 12.30pm to thank me for all the support he had received and to say he had loved being at the World cup. He felt he had developed a lot.
“I still thought there was a huge amount of growth in his game. His try for Gloucester at the weekend was sensational, but as a coach I wanted to see him get his hands on the ball more often.”
In a statement on social media, Rees-Zammit said he would be joining the NFL’s International Player Pathway programme, with the aim of earning a place on the NFL roster in the US this year.
Louis Rees-Zammit scoring against Fiji at the World Cup
He will leave fly to Florida this week to link up with the NFL International Player Pathway, which provides elite athletes from around the world with an opportunity to bid for an NFL contract.
“Louis’s been a big fan of NFL as a youngster, and he’s got a very high profile away from the game on social media – this will help to enhance that,” added Gatland.
“Now he’s got the chance to go and do something he’s dreamt about for a long time. We all know how quick he is and how good an athlete he is – that’s a huge advantage when you go and try another sport.
“He’s not small, about 100kgs, and he’s physical – a bit of a freak as an athlete. He didn’t come into our World Cup camp in the greatest physical shape, but I’ve rarely seen an athlete get back into shape as quickly as he did.
“There aren’t many people who make it in the NFL if they haven’t been brought up in the game. It’s going to be a challenge, but good luck to him.
“Christian Wade got quite close to cracking it, as did Jarred Hayne, but Louis sees this as an opportunity that if he doesn’t take now, it probably won’t come around again.
“I’ve always been a ‘player first’ coach and for me it’s about a player making the best decision for himself and his family. You are only in a professional sporting environment for a short time, so you have to make the most of the opportunities that come your way.
“We are disappointed to lose a talent like him, but you’ve got to take it on the chin and move on. The last thing I can do is dwell on this because I’ve got to prepare the squad for the Scotland game.”
Losing one of his biggest assets may have come as a serious blow for the Wales head coach, but he refused to be sidetracked by the biggest bombshell to be dropped on Welsh rugby since Jonathan Davies signed for Widnes in 1989.
While Gatland works out how to blood a new breed ahead of the next World Cup, Rees-Zammit will be heading to the US this week to begin his new quest.
“I fly to Florida on Friday and then it is a 10-week intensive camp. At the end of the 10 weeks, I’ll find out if I’m good enough and a team wants me,” he said on his social media.
“If so, the season starts in August. I’m looking forward to the next 10 weeks and working hard to try to make my dream become a reality.
“Opting to step away from international rugby on the eve of the Six Nations has been a painstaking decision, but I am extremely excited to take up a once in a lifetime opportunity to pursue a new challenge.
“Although this decision may come as a surprise, I would like to reiterate that this does not necessarily mean I am retiring from rugby. At this age and stage of my life I’m excited to explore a unique challenge that has the potential to diversify my skill set.”
He can ask his father, Joe, for a few tips on how to play his new sport as he used to be a running back and wide receiver for the Cardiff Tigers back in the early eighties.
