A veteran of four Rugby World Cups, the Victoria native travelled halfway around the world to make a name for himself in rugby, enjoying two highly successful spells with Wasps in England either side of a three-season stay at Newport in Wales, where he set a new seasonal club record of 398 points in 1995-96. During his time at Keeble College in Oxford, he won two Blues.

Rees’ 13-year international career also spanned the amateur and professional eras. From his debut against the USA in 1986, the burly fly-half went on to become Canada's all-time leading scorer with 491 points from 55 test match appearances, a landmark that stood for 14 years. In his last international, against Namibia at RWC 1999, Rees kicked a then individual record of 27 points in a match. He also captained Canada in 25 matches.

He continues to be a driving force for Canadian rugby in his role as National Programme Manager.