Dan Biggar says he has total admiration for Louis Rees-Zammit’s decision to leap into a new sport, stating that he himself was “scared” to make a huge change in his career earlier on in his professional life.
Biggar and Rees-Zammit know each other well from their time spent together in the Wales team set-up. The latter shocked the rugby world earlier this year when he announced he was leaving the sport with immediate effect to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.
Rees-Zammit’s time in the States has been up and down so far, having been picked up then cut by reigning Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs before signed by Jacksonville Jaguars.
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Rees-Zammit will take a watching brief when he returns to the UK but Biggar has warm words of appreciation for the 23-year-old, who he lauds as a “top, top lad”.
Biggar says the game of rugby wants and needs characters, believing what Rees-Zammit has done – getting right out of his comfort zone – should be praised rather than derided.
Biggar told Rugby Planet: “I admire 100 percent Louis for what he is doing and I’ll tell you why. When I was 21 or 22 I had a conversation with Racing 92 and almost signed.
“I didn’t go through with it because I was scared to go and live in Paris. It was too far out of my comfort zone. The fact Louis is 23 and he’s chosen to go to a different sport, never mind a different country, and put everything on the line I think is brilliant. I so respect him for that.”
Rees-Zammit came in for a bit of social media flak following his exit from the Chiefs, something he said he blocks out in a sure sign of confident professional athlete.
The fact he’s made it even this far in a totally new sport is cause for celebration, a view Biggar subscribes to as well.
“We keep saying we want characters, we want people to be out there and back themselves,” added Biggar. “The minute they do and it’s like they become an easy target. I think Louis should be really proud of himself, it is clearly a very tough sport to crack for anybody, let alone a foreigner coming in and a guy who only played his first game a month or so ago.
“I really hope it goes for him because he’s a top, top lad. I love the fact he’s not afraid to put himself out there, that he wants to be more than a rugby player. If he’s open enough to come out and say it and back himself, I think people should get behind it. It’s taken real balls to do it and he’s doing it with personality and character.
“What we do in this country in particular is we always want people to fall,” Biggar added. “We’re there to pile on the pressure when they do. He’s a great bloke, I really enjoyed my time with him. Good luck to him.”
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