With the news of Christian Wade’s signing at Wigan Warriors, we’ve gone deep into the archive to find six of the most recent rugby league converts from the other code.
Wade’s signing on Good Friday came as a surprise to most across the game but he isn’t the first player to switch between the two codes.
Whilst there are a ton of players turning away from rugby league to union, there are very few in recent years to have come the other way.
We’ve collated six of the most recent transfers coming from rugby union with varying degrees of success.
Six of the most recent players to try a stint in rugby league after union careers
Luther Burrell
Born in the rugby league town of Huddersfield, Burrell played rugby league up until the age of 15, when he switched to union. However, he made his way back years later, signing for Warrington Wolves back in July 2019. He made just eight appearances for the Wolves before returning to union in September 2020, where he joined Newcastle Falcons. He played in the first five rounds of the Super League season in 2020 all off the bench but failed to cement his place in the Warrington squad.
Gareth Thomas
Thomas joined Crusaders back in 2010 on an 18-month deal, making his debut in March against Catalans Dragons. However, it was a debut to forget as he was hit in a heavy challenge just moments into the game and had to leave the field due to a concussion. He went on to make 31 appearances for the Crusaders over two seasons, starting as a winger before moving into the centres in 2011. However, after breaking his arm in round 21, he was forced to retire from all rugby.
Guy Armitage
After a ten-year stint in rugby union, Armitage made his way over to rugby league in 2019, joining London Broncos initially. A move to Toulouse Olympique in 2021 saw him enjoy four successful years with the French side, including their 2022 Super League campaign. He remained with the club following the relegation, making 56 appearances and scoring 40 tries during his four years there. In 2025, he announced a move to Bradford Bulls, where he’s made nine appearances already this season.
Gavin Henson
Henson had enjoyed a long career in rugby union before opting to join league. He signed up to West Wales Raiders back in 2020, played in a Challenge Cup game against Widnes Vikings in March and never featured again. It was a strange decision at the time as he’d retired from rugby union in 2019 as it was his ambition to play in a World Cup representing Wales. However, that dream never came to fruition and his rugby league career was over and done with before it had barely begun.
Ratu Naulago
After serving in the British Army and making guest appearances for Bath and Saracens in rugby union, Naulago was offered the chance to play professional rugby league by Hull FC in 2019. He spent two seasons at the Black and Whites, where he was beloved by fans and disappointed them as he made the switch back to rugby union after just two seasons. Naulago scored 23 tries in 34 games before moving to Bristol Bears at the end of the 2020 Super League season. Early last year, he signed a contract extension at the Premiership Rugby club to remain a Bear player but fractured his cheekbone in October.
Ben Lam
Only last year did Ben Lam join Catalans Dragons in a short-term deal following a move from Montpellier rugby union. After a successful stint in Australia’s Super Rugby competition, Lam made the move to France back in 2020, joining Bordeaux first before moving to Montpellier. In August last year, he signed with Catalans until the end of the season but failed to make an appearance for the Super League side. However, he did manage three tries in five games for Saint-Esteve in the Super XIII, the Dragons reserve side.
Eric T Cat
April 22, 2025 at 11:04 am
Cast of world beaters. The fitness gulf, the intensity of tackling, the way the games are played, it’s too big a step going Union to League as an older player. Maybe a few 18-23 might make it, but older players, especially those who buy the Union “Oh League is just touch rugby” get a very very nasty shock, and a number of tgem regret tgeor move after their very first tackle. Wigan would have fared better putting that money into youth development. Good grief, they’ve proved tgat haven’t they? The Home Nations coaching staff in Union are riddled with products of Wigan’s rugby league youth policy of 30+ years ago! Union are slowly playing a style of rugby that developed up to around 1907 in League. It will be play the balls and doing away with lineouts and two superfluous players for them next!