England exile Wade quits rugby for NFL

ENGLAND wing Christian Wade has sensationally abandoned his rugby career with Wasps in an attempt to play in the NFL. The 27-year-old is the most prolific English try-scorer of the professional era and his abrupt switch to a new sport will come as a major shock within the domestic game. Wade has scored 82 tries in 130 Premiership matches since bursting on to the scene in the 2010-11 campaign, leaving him third on the all-time list behind Tom Varndell and Mark Cueto. He seemingly had many years left to surpass those top finishers and set records with his pace and predatory instincts. Instead, Wade is now ready to harness those qualities in American football. Despite all his remarkable exploits for Wasps, he has made just a solitary appearance for England, in Argentina back in 2013, before being called up to the Lions tour of Australia that summer. Since then, he has been unable to earn further international recognition, with Eddie Jones repeatedly overlooking the 5ft 8in wide man in recent years. Wade has appeared five times for his Coventry-based club this season — playing 80 minutes on

each occasion, but without adding to his remarkable try tally. His appearance against Gloucester at the Ricoh Arena on october 6 now appears to have been his farewell game in Wasps colours. There are precedents, in terms of English rugby players trying to convert to American football. Last season, Christian ScotlandWilliamson left Worcester and is now a tight end with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Former England Sevens player Alex Gray moved to the US as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway programme in 2017, and captained the Atlanta Falcons during a pre-season match.