Wigan Warriors have made a decision on the future of rugby union convert Christian Wade according to recent news reports.
A report from one of the 15-player code’s outlets RugbyPass has reported that Wade will finish his spell with Wigan Warriors at the end of the season with the veteran likely to seek a return to rugby union’s top flight, the Gallagher Premiership.
Wade was announced as a Wigan Warriors signing all the way back in April, being unveiled ahead of the game against rivals St Helens over the Easter weekend.
It was a signing that shocked everyone but one that was perhaps not as surprising for a club who operate as smartly as Wigan do. Their name value is powerful enough to attract players of the ilk of Wade, a former England international and one of domestic rugby union’s most prolific try-scorers, and what’s more was the fact he doesn’t count on the salary cap.
Rugby union converts come at a zero salary cost in terms of the cap and with Wigan being a club who spend up to that cap, Wade was a perfect short-term replacement.
Christian Wade set to leave Wigan Warriors
He only signed until the end of the year and after a run of games in the first team, he’s since been omitted so it’s no surprise to see reports that Wade will move back to rugby union.
According to RugbyPass, there are “strong suggestions that he (Wade) is looking for another Premiership Rugby club to play for in the forthcoming season”.
He sits just eight tries behind another former cross-code man, Chris Ashton, in the rankings for all-time try-scorers in Premiership history so a return to the competition makes plenty of sense.
Wade last played for Wigan Warriors in their Round 19 loss to Hull FC in July. That was a game where he was terrorised under the high ball and immediately admitted post-match to his mistakes.
After that game Peet revealed: “He came to me straight away and said his piece, he was very apologetic.
“pick the team and I’ve seen enough from him in training to feel he warrants an opportunity. It’s my responsibility and we’ll stick together on that one and keep working hard to improve and not dwell on it.”
Eric T Cat
August 23, 2025 at 12:40 pm
He came to the sport too old, right in at the deep end, hard for anyone to thrive. But he tried, I’m sure he has a better understanding of how difficult Rugby League is compared to Union, But the Union media will never let him say that openly, it doesn’t fir their biased narrative, as strong today as it ever was!