Wales and British & Irish Lions wing Louis Rees-Zammit has been named on World Rugby’s shortlist for the Breakthrough Player of the Year award.
Rees-Zammit, 20, continued his remarkable international career with a stunning try in Wales’ 38-23 victory over Fiji at Principality Stadium on Sunday.
It means the Gloucester back now has six tries in just 11 Tests for Wales.
Making waves in 2021 ⚡️
Who do you think will be named Breakthrough Player of the Year, in association with Tudor?#WorldRugbyAwards pic.twitter.com/zyODJ1qpe2
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) November 15, 2021
After making his international debut as a replacement against France in the autumn of 2020, Rees-Zammit helped Wales to win the 2021 Guinness Six Nations and Triple Crown.
He scored against Ireland and twice in the win over Scotland, the second of which was a remarkable individual effort.
Rees-Zammit’s first Wales try came in the Autumn Nations Cup win over Georgia on November 21, 2020.
His form saw him picked by Warren Gatland’s Lions for the summer tour of South Africa although he did not play in a Test.
The other players rivalling Rees-Zammit for the Breakthrough Player of the Year award are New Zealand wing Will Jordan, Australia’s Andrew Kellaway and England fly-half Marcus Smith who was a Lions team-mate of Rees-Zammit in the summer.
Louis Rees-Zammit of Wales scores against Fiji
Wales fans can vote for Rees-Zammit for the award by clicking here.
Rees-Zammit’s sixth Test try came against Fiji.
Picking up possession inside his own half, he kicked ahead with his weaker left foot.
There were plenty of covering Fiji defenders, but Rees-Zammit’s turn of foot was just extraordinary.
He was first to the ball against all the odds and just got downward pressure before it went dead.
He had absolutely no right to score from the position he started in.
His try earned him the praise of Wales head coach Wayne Pivac who said: “That’s what Louis can do. You can’t coach that.
“That’s just express pace. I was just pleased for him because he was marked fairly heavily on the left wing.
“But I was really pleased he showed that individual brilliance and raw pace. It’s great to have him in your side when he can do those sorts of things.”