Wade to leave Wigan for union return at Newcastle

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 when fielding high kicks in their defeat by Hull FC in July, which was the last time he played for the Warriors.

The second-highest try-scorer in Prem history – just eight behind Chris Ashton’s record – Wade’s imminent arrival is one of the first key moves by Newcastle following their takeover by Red Bull.

“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 and commitment during his time with the Warriors.

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 this 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.