Gloucester have signed former Wasps and England winger Christian Wade – who quit rugby in 2018 to join the NFL’s International Player Pathway – just weeks after losing ex-Wales star Louis Rees-Zammit to the same programme.
The 32-year-old will join from French club Racing 92 ahead of the 2024/25 season and will help fill the void left by Rees-Zammit’s shock move to the US.
Wade was drafted to the Buffalo Bills in 2019 but never played a competitive NFL match and returned to rugby in 2022.
“I’m excited to be returning to the Premiership next season and for a great club like Gloucester,” Wade said.
“After speaking with George (Skivington), I believe in his vision and ambition for the team and I can’t wait to play my part in that.
“I have fond memories of playing at Kingsholm in Wasps colours so I’m looking forward to getting out there in Cherry & White next season.”
Wade played just one Test for England but was selected for the British and Irish Lions’ 2013 tour of Australia.
Head coach Skivington said: “It’s been clear since he returned from America that he has come back in even better shape and still has that sixth sense for the try line that he had before he left.
“We’ve got a pretty exciting stock of back three players here, but it’s hugely pleasing to add someone of Christian’s experience to that group.”
Former England winger Christian Wade announced his retirement from rugby union at the age of 27 on this day in 2018 as he looked to launch an American football career.
Wade, the fourth highest tryscorer in English club rugby on 82, was granted early release from his Wasps contract after nine years at the club to join NFL team the Buffalo Bills.
In doing so he halved his salary from the £250,000 a year he was earning in the Gallagher Premiership. The move never took off on the field either as he failed to make the Bills’ roster.
Slough-born Wade, who won his only England cap in 2013 against Argentina, described the decision to leave rugby as the hardest in his life.
He said: “After playing nine years of professional sport for Wasps, I’ve decided to leave for personal reasons.
“I would like to thank Wasps chairman Derek Richardson and Dai (Young, director of rugby) for their support, consideration and understanding in what is the most difficult decision of my life.
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“Rugby has privileged and honoured me with so many wonderful memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Wasps were third in the Gallagher Premiership and bottom of their Heineken Champions Cup group when Wade, who as well as winning one England cap also represented the 2013 British and Irish Lions on their tour of Australia, announced he was leaving.
“It’s very disappointing to lose a player of Wadey’s quality at this stage of the season,” Young said.
“The club held numerous discussions with him to try and convince him to keep pushing forward with Wasps but in the end it was clear this is the path he wished to go down. The club nevertheless wants to wish him all the best with his future career path.”
Using the NFL’s international player pathway program to facilitate the switch, Wade made waves by scoring a 65-yard touchdown as a running back in pre-season, but a regular season game eluded him.
The experiment lasted three years and in September 2022 he returned to rugby after agreeing a deal to join French side Racing 92.
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