Louis Rees-Zammit’s return to rugby will be celebrated by his family, including his girlfriend, whom he met in the USA while pursuing a career in the NFL
Fasika Zelealem Senior Sports Reporter and Jake Bayliss Sport Writer – U35s
10:00, 09 Nov 2025
Louis Rees-Zammit has been supported by his girlfriend Drew Knotts(Image: @drewknotts/Instagram)
Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit has been supported by his glamorous girlfriend Drew Knotts following his dramatic return to rugby union.
The 24-year-old announced his decision to leave the NFL and return to the sport that made him famous in July this year. After relocating to America to pursue a career in American football, the Wales international joined the International Player Pathway programme.
He had previously been in a relationship with YouTuber and influencer Saffron Barker before his move to the United States, but their romance ended shortly after his departure in 2024. Rees-Zammit and Florida-based Knotts made their relationship public on social media in April 2025, though it later emerged they had actually been together for several months.
Knotts, 26, is a well-known social media influencer with more than 30,000 Instagram followers, who regularly receives praise from admirers flooding her posts. Among the tributes she received, one follower wrote: “Drew is perfect.” Another commented: “The most perfect girl on earth.” A third said: “The queen herself shining bright as always.”
Drew Knotts is a social media influencer(Image: @drewknotts/Instagram)
Following Rees-Zammit signing with Bristol Bears, he confirmed that his partner would be making a permanent move from Florida to Wales. “I took her to the Wales v Ireland game for the Six Nations,” the winger said when discussing Knotts. “She really enjoyed it. She doesn’t have a clue what rugby is! When she saw that kind of environment, she really wanted to watch me play rugby.
“It’s something I can give her now, I can allow her to learn rugby, she’ll learn a lot from my family, the rules and the crowd. She’s really looking forward to it. It’s going to be a big change for her.
Rees-Zammit has been named on the bench for Wales’ game against Argentina (Image: Ben Birchall/PA Wire)
“She’s moving permanently. Depending on visas and stuff, there’s a lot to do with getting over to America and vice versa. I experienced that first-hand. But she’s obviously doing the opposite to what I did. I went over there, lived there.
“But now she’s coming back and living in Wales. So, from Florida to Wales! Well, depending on visas and stuff, there’s a lot to do with getting over to America and vice versa.
Rees-Zammit has said that his girlfriend plans to move to Wales(Image: @drewknotts/Instagram)
“I experienced that first hand. But she’s obviously doing the opposite to what I did. I went over there, lived there, but now she’s coming back and living in Wales. (The weather’s the same) – that’s what I said to her, don’t worry about it!”
Looking ahead to Wales’ Autumn Nations Series curtain-raiser against Argentina on Sunday, Rees-Zammit has been named among the substitutes. The winger hasn’t featured for Wales since October 2023 and has been managing a toe problem since last month.
Wales assistant coach Danny Wilson provided an update on his condition: “He progressed back last week and [has had] a full training week this week,” Wilson said. “There are a few boxes left to tick but he is moving in the right direction.”
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The Rugby Autumn Nations Series gets underway on November 1 with Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland among the teams in action. Fans can watch every game on the TNT Sports Prime Video channel.