Christian Wade marked his second ever rugby league match in some style, crossing for two tries as Wigan Warriors Reserves defeated St Helens 46-14 in Saturday’s derby at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
The 34-year-old former England rugby union international, who joined Wigan on a short-term deal after completing his Premiership campaign with Gloucester, wasted little time making an impression in his second run-out for the storied club.
His rugby league debut came earlier this month in a reserves game against Castleford Tigers, but it was his second outing this weekend that really caught the eye. Wade struck either side of half-time, showing glimpses of the electric pace that made him one of union’s most prolific finishers.
His first came after the 5’9 winger won an aerial contest in the 25th minute, while his second came in the 59th minute after a series of passes saw him dive over in the corner.
The Slough-born winger was one of five try-scorers in a blistering first half that saw Wigan race to a 30-4 lead, and he later added his second to cap the win.
The one time British & Irish Lions tourist’s appearance came just weeks after he officially left Gallagher Premiership side Gloucester.
The former Wasps winger and NFL hopeful previously made headlines with a brief spell at the Buffalo Bills before returning to union. His move to Wigan marks a fresh chapter in a career defined by code-switching ambition.
Having now featured twice for the reserves, Wade is pushing for a senior call-up, with Wigan Today reporting that first-team winger Liam Marshall picked up an injury in Wigan’s defeat to Wakefield on Friday night, potentially opening a door for his call-up to the first team.
His signing certainly goes against the normal flow of rugby league players to rugby union. Wade previously considered a switch to Super League when he was approached by the now-defunct Toronto Wolfpack.
Wigan Warriors CEO Kris Radlinski said upon his signing that he believes Wade’s skills are suited to the 13-man code: “The new Talent Pool Exemption was created precisely for this type of recruitment. Christian is an exceptional athlete with highly transferable skills suited to Rugby League. His impressive track record speaks for itself and we are genuinely excited about the impact he can make throughout the remainder of the 2025 season.”
