Christian Wade is poised to sensationally quit Wasps in order to pursue a lucrative career in the NFL, having grown disillusioned with rugby union.
The 27-year-old is one of the most recognised names in the domestic game, but his continued absence from the international set-up – having won just one England cap on the 2013 tour of Argentina – has left him frustrated and fed up of continuously being overlooked.
The Independent understands that Wade has already informed Wasps of his decision, with an announcement expected before the weekend game against Bath.
But despite his reasons, the move – which Wasps will not confirm nor deny – still comes as a major shock.
Wade has scored 82 tries in 130 Premiership matches for Wasps, putting behind only Tom Varndell and Mark Cueto in the all-time try scorers list, and his reputation as one of the most lethal finishers in the English game would likely have seen him go on to break Varndell’s record given he still has many years of playing left on his side.
But he has not been at his prolific best this season, having failed to cross the whitewash in his five appearances in which he played the duration. Yet his omission from last weekend’s European Champions Cup defeat at Leinster was put down to “illness” by the club, though eyebrows were not raised until the late hours of Thursday night.
It now appears that his appearance in the 6 October defeat by Gloucester at the Ricoh Arena will be his last for Wasps, who he has played for since making his professional debut in 2011.
Wade is not the first player to cross the Atlantic and leave rugby union for American football. Former England Sevens star Alex Gray is currently with the Atlanta Falcons practice squad, having captained them during a pre-season match, while Christian Scotland-Williamson left Worcester Warriors last year to join the Pittburgh Steelers.
Should Wade make it in the NFL, he can expect to make a significant improvement on his salary. Players on a team’s practice squad make a minimum of $129,200 [£99,000], but there are no limits set and those who make the 53-man roster earn much, much more than that figure.
Wade could also benefit from the NFL’s International Player Pathway, which sees teams in the AFC South and NFC North granted an additional place on their practice squad for players hailing from the likes of the UK, Germany and countries in Africa.
