Wales have recalled star wing Louis Rees-Zammit for their 2025 autumn international Tests, marking a return to the national squad two years after he last played for his country and switched from rugby union to American football.

Rees-Zammit, 24, secured contracts with the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars during an 18-month period but did not feature in any competitive NFL games. His rugby comeback began in August when he signed a season-long deal with Bristol Bears, scoring a try on his debut in the Gallagher Premiership.

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Full Squad and Key Recalls

The 39-man Wales squad for their four November Tests features several recalls:

• Louis Rees-Zammit – wing, back from NFL stint
• Rhys Carre – Saracens prop, now eligible under WRU rules
• Callum Sheedy – Cardiff fly-half

Notable omissions include Cardiff teenage wing Tom Bowen, missing out on his first senior call-up, and Ospreys back row Ross Moriarty.

The squad also includes five uncapped players:

• James Fender (Ospreys, second row)
• Morgan Morse (Ospreys, back row)
• Brodie Coghlan (Dragons, hooker)
• Danny Southworth (Cardiff, prop)
• Louie Hennessey (Bath, centre)

British and Irish Lions flanker Jac Morgan will lead the squad, which has an average age of 26 and 744 combined caps.

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Autumn Test Schedule

Wales’ players will assemble at their training base near Cardiff on Monday, 27 October. New head coach Steve Tandy, formerly Scotland’s defence coach, will oversee his first matches:

• Sunday, 9 November: Wales vs Argentina
• Saturday, 15 November: Wales vs Japan
• Saturday, 22 November: Wales vs New Zealand
• Saturday, 29 November: Wales vs South Africa

These fixtures present a challenging start for Tandy, as Wales are currently ranked 12th in the world, having recently ended an 18-match losing streak by defeating Japan in Kobe during July.

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Coach Steve Tandy on Squad Selection

Tandy expressed excitement about his first squad:

“It’s been really exciting going through the whole process and realising how many good players we’ve got. There’s a really good mix of young players coming in alongside experienced internationals. The overall feeling is really exciting, and I can’t wait to get the boys into camp on Monday.”

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Player Updates and Returns

• Rhys Carre: Became eligible for Wales selection under the Professional Rugby Board rules despite playing for a club outside Wales.
• Adam Beard and Dafydd Jenkins: Returning after summer breaks and elective surgery, respectively.
• Other returning players: Callum Sheedy, Jacob Beetham, Rhys Davies, Rio Dyer, Jarrod Evans, Joe Hawkins, Max Llewellyn, and Nick Tompkins.
• Will Rowlands: Excluded after retiring from international rugby.

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Wales Squad for Autumn Tests

Forwards: Keiron Assiratti, Adam Beard, Liam Belcher, Rhys Carre, Ben Carter, Brodie Coghlan, Christian Coleman, Rhys Davies, Taulupe Faletau, James Fender, Archie Griffin, Dafydd Jenkins, Dewi Lake, Alex Mann, Jac Morgan, Morgan Morse, Nicky Smith, Danny Southworth, Gareth Thomas, Freddie Thomas, Aaron Wainwright

Backs: Josh Adams, Jacob Beetham, Rio Dyer, Dan Edwards, Jarrod Evans, Kieran Hardy, Joe Hawkins, Louie Hennessey, Max Llewellyn, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Blair Murray, Louis Rees-Zammit, Tom Rogers, Callum Sheedy, Ben Thomas, Nick Tompkins, Tomos Williams

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Key Takeaways

• Rees-Zammit’s recall provides pace and finishing ability on the wing.
• Tandy inherits a squad blending experienced internationals with emerging talent.
• Wales face a challenging autumn series against top-tier nations including Argentina, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa.