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9 minutes ago
Christian Wade will leave reigning Super League champions Wigan Warriors at the end of the rugby league season in order to return to rugby union with Newcastle Red Bulls from December.
The 34-year-old crossed codes to join Wigan on a short-term deal from Gloucester at the end of the 2024-25 Premiership season but could not make a lasting impact in the 13-a-side game.
Wade made two appearances for Wigan and scored tries in both, but committed persistent handling mistakes from high kicks in their defeat by Hull FC in July, which was his final appearance for the Warriors.
The second-highest try-scorer in Prem history, Wade joins Newcastle following their takeover by Red Bull and is just eight tries behind Chris Ashton’s record to become the leading try-scorer in the league.
“It’s been an absolute honour to be involved with a great club like Wigan Warriors, and they’ve been fantastic with me,” Wade said.
“I’ve never been someone to shy away from a challenge, I’ve learnt a lot from the experience and it’s a special organisation. Their fans are incredible, more like a football crowd with how tribal they are, and I’ve been proud to represent them.”
Wigan head coach Matt Peet paid tribute to Wade’s professionalism during his time with the club as well as his commitment.
“We’ve really enjoyed having him in the group and we wish him and his family all the very best as he moves on to this exciting new chapter with Newcastle. It is clear to see why he has had such an outstanding career,” Peet said.
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A sporting trailblazer, Wade previously scored 82 tries in seven season with Wasps before taking up American Football, as he joined the Buffalo Bills as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway in 2019.
He scored a 65-yard touchdown on his debut for the Bills during pre-season, but never made a regular-season appearance.
He returned to rugby union in 2022 with a move to French club Racing, before linking up with Gloucester in 2024.
Wade scored 11 tries in 14 games for Gloucester before swapping from one Cherry and Whites to another earlier this summer, with his deal at Wigan keeping him with the reigning Super League and World Club Challenge holders until the end of the current season.
“He performed to a really high standard for Gloucester last season and challenged himself by joining the best rugby league team in the country, which just goes to show the enthusiasm he still has to broaden his knowledge and skill base,” Newcastle boss Steve Diamond said.
“I’ve always been impressed by his ability on the field, but when we met a short while ago to discuss the possibility of him joining us I was struck by what an articulate and ambitious guy he is, even having achieved so much throughout his career.”
