Meet Louis Rees-Zammit’s Girlfriend — The Influencer Who Once Dated a Mega-Famous Star

The former Wales rugby sensation has officially returned to the sport, signing with Bristol Bears and making himself available once again for Wales, marking the end of his brief spell pursuing American football. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed that he’s no longer flying solo.

Rees-Zammit has gone public with his girlfriend, 26-year-old Drew Knotts, with the pair spending plenty of time together as he settles back into life in the UK following his return from the United States.

After stepping away from rugby last year to explore opportunities in the NFL, Rees-Zammit has now turned the page and refocused on the sport that made him a global name. Having spent time in the U.S. as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway programme with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he ultimately decided his future lay back in rugby union.

During the off-season, Rees-Zammit made the most of his time away from the spotlight. He travelled to Thailand with his brother Taylor and later shared glimpses of a luxury getaway to Dubai, where he publicly confirmed his relationship with Knotts through a series of sun-soaked Instagram posts – complete with desert adventures, romantic dinners and polished holiday snaps.

The couple have since been spotted together at high-profile social events in Florida, including the Strawberry Ball in Plant City – Knotts’ hometown – before Rees-Zammit made the move back across the Atlantic to begin preparations with Bristol ahead of the new Premiership season.

So, who is Drew Knotts?

With nearly 30,000 Instagram followers, Knotts has carved out a strong online presence, collaborating with brands such as Kickstand Cocktails and sharing fashion, lifestyle and travel content with her growing audience.

Originally from Plant City, Florida, Knotts is a former athlete turned influencer. She previously dated internet personality Tayler Holder and has continued to build her own profile independently, with social media now her main focus.

Sport has played a huge role in her life. As a youngster, she competed across a wide range of disciplines – including basketball, swimming, gymnastics, soccer, softball and tennis – before focusing on football (soccer), where she truly excelled.

Despite being teased for her “boy’s name” growing up, Knotts stood out thanks to her blistering pace. She represented the Plant City Lancers and Brandon Flames, and earned selection for the ECNL U14 team, one of just two in Florida.

At Plant City High School, she scored 10 goals and collected several honours, including the Swope Rodante Vanguard Student Athlete Award. She later played college football at Southern Mississippi University, following an earlier spell at Georgia Southern, before retiring in 2021 after completing her degree.

Athletic talent clearly runs in the family – her brother currently plays American football at Texas Tech University.

With Rees-Zammit now fully recommitted to rugby, preparing for life at Bristol Bears and eyeing a return in red for Wales, and Knotts supporting him along the way, the next chapter looks set to be a major one – both professionally and personally.

In December 2019, before his international debut for Wales, Rees-Zammit posted a photo of himself playing for Gloucester. Alicia Scholes, daughter of football legend Paul Scholes, humorously suggested an England debut was imminent, despite Rees-Zammit’s Welsh roots. He firmly replied, "Wales*".

In a BBC interview, Rees-Zammit spoke about his past relationship with Alicia, a professional netball player for London Pulse. He revealed the light-hearted attempts by her father to sway him towards England, which he steadfastly resisted.

Alicia and her father Paul found themselves in the spotlight in 2021 due to a viral video that led to playful banter among rival supporters.

Following his NFL trial day, Rees-Zammit ended his relationship with influencer Saffron Barker. The couple had gone public after the Rugby World Cup, but their relationship faced challenges with his move to the US.

Saffron addressed the breakup on social media, expressing gratitude for the support from her fans and hinting at a positive future.

She wrote to her fans: "Hi everyone. I have so much exciting news to update you on, and I promise to keep you all posted on that."

"For now though I wanted to address some of the questions re my relationship. Whilst I won't be going into any detail, I am no longer in a relationship. I am fully focused on my well-being, wonderful family, & career," she further commented. Saffron continued in the recent post:

"I want to thank all of the incredible people who have sent me messages of love & strength over the past few weeks. I have read every single one & I can't tell you how much it has meant to me."

Saffron - who has more than two million subscribers on her YouTube channel - concluded by writing: "I know good things come to good people so I hold onto the hope that 2024 is going to be a positive year for me. Lots of love."

Recently single, Rees-Zammit has been spotted with Sports Illustrated model and TikTok sensation Xandra Pohl. The pair were seen enjoying a day out at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, sparking rumors of a new romance.

Xandra, a successful DJ who has played at high-profile venues including Ushuaia Ibiza, is set to perform at Lollapalooza in Chicago this summer.

Alongside his new relationship, Rees-Zammit has also been embracing the Kansas City lifestyle, attending Travis Kelce's 'Kelce Jam' festival and sporting a new ear piercing.

As Louis Rees-Zammit continues to make waves both on and off the field, his journey in the NFL is one to watch closely.