Christian Wade

[Leicestertinytiger]

Big news in that Wade has left Wasps with immediate effect on Tuesday to pursue a career in NFL. Good luck to the guy, always criminally underrated by some.

Wasps also apparently have signed Malakai Fekitoa for next season, apparently to replace Le Roux as their marquee signing.

[Chobbsy]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/45911641

wants the big money, might find the grass isn't always greener, hey but if that is where his heart is, good luck to him

[Soggypitch]

A sad loss to the Premiership, fabulous player to watch and one who deserved to be given a chance with England.

[BFG]

Well his heart clearly isn't here and I see the signs in quite a few these days.
This is just another sign of the current poor state of rugby in England.
Overseas converts and academy starlets more interested in exposure and money and supporters being treated more and more like cash cows.
The quality served up on a weekly basis in the Premiership and Europe by most English sides is dwindling and at an ever increasing cost and difficulty to keep to the salary cap, and England have become very average.

[johnthegriff]

Athletes in any sport have a limited time to earn enough to provide for their families and themselves in a life after their sporting career ends. Of course they want to earn as much as possible, when at thirty something they embark on a new career they cold be ten years behind their peers, very few will have achieved the high profile necessary to cash in on their rugby career in later life.

[johnthegriff]

Athletes in any sport have a limited time to earn enough to provide for their families and themselves in a life after their sporting career ends. Of course they want to earn as much as possible, when at thirty something they embark on a new career they cold be ten years behind their peers, very few will have achieved the high profile necessary to cash in on their rugby career in later life.

[BFG]

Athletes in any sport have a limited time to earn enough to provide for their families and themselves in a life after their sporting career ends. Of course they want to earn as much as possible, when at thirty something they embark on a new career they cold be ten years behind their peers, very few will have achieved the high profile necessary to cash in on their rugby career in later life.

All very good but it's the commitment to the chosen sport that is seriously in question, do they play for the love of the sport, the love of their club or country, or the money.
Clearly in this case as IMO many others the money is more important and is why English rugby is in such a poor state.
I realise we are no longer in the amateur days but I see players who only start turning up during seasons when their current contracts are due to finish, academy graduates moving because they think they should be first choice rather than absolutely kicking any doubt into touch with consistently superb performances.
Kids and foreign players picked for England who only have a handful of Premiership matches is a complete joke.
I wonder how many serious rugby talents missed out on an opportunity to become professional rugby players to give Wade his opportunity!
Him leaving the sport is proof that he should've never been in it to pro level in the first place in my opinion.

[fortysix]

Not a fair post. Wade has every right to leave as his performances have merited far more Caps. But his face doesnt fit, so at 27 what can he do
His shelf life as an out and out speedster is shorter than a prop, for example

[POSTIGER]

I respect him for giving it a go. Surely the easier option would be to have stayed and gone through the motions at Wasps while still being paid a good wage? He's highly unlikely to go straight in to an NFL franchise on a massive contract which suggests he's prepared to work hard in a new sport. I don't see it as chasing the money at all but as him wishing to test himself.


On a side note, maybe he sees NFL as a more viable long-term option as so many Union players' careers are being ended prematurely by injury? I know we like to think rugby is superior because the players don't wear any protective gear (as they obviously do in the NFL) but maybe it's about time that we looked at what the NFL do in that regard rather than sneering at it? Would it be a disaster if rugny players were made to wear helmets? Just a thought.

[ellis9]

Athletes in any sport have a limited time to earn enough to provide for their families and themselves in a life after their sporting career ends. Of course they want to earn as much as possible, when at thirty something they embark on a new career they cold be ten years behind their peers, very few will have achieved the high profile necessary to cash in on their rugby career in later life.

All very good but it's the commitment to the chosen sport that is seriously in question, do they play for the love of the sport, the love of their club or country, or the money.
Clearly in this case as IMO many others the money is more important and is why English rugby is in such a poor state.
I realise we are no longer in the amateur days but I see players who only start turning up during seasons when their current contracts are due to finish, academy graduates moving because they think they should be first choice rather than absolutely kicking any doubt into touch with consistently superb performances.
Kids and foreign players picked for England who only have a handful of Premiership matches is a complete joke.
I wonder how many serious rugby talents missed out on an opportunity to become professional rugby players to give Wade his opportunity!
Him leaving the sport is proof that he should've never been in it to pro level in the first place in my opinion.

Yes, I've said similar before. To me, it's irrelevant how much money they make during their career. They play the game because they love it. Once their career is over, they can do another one. Why are they any different to us? Why should their current career set them up for life? Before anyone says because it could end in seconds, that's the risk they take when playing the sport they love.

[TigerCam]

Athletes in any sport have a limited time to earn enough to provide for their families and themselves in a life after their sporting career ends. Of course they want to earn as much as possible, when at thirty something they embark on a new career they cold be ten years behind their peers, very few will have achieved the high profile necessary to cash in on their rugby career in later life.

All very good but it's the commitment to the chosen sport that is seriously in question, do they play for the love of the sport, the love of their club or country, or the money.
Clearly in this case as IMO many others the money is more important and is why English rugby is in such a poor state.
I realise we are no longer in the amateur days but I see players who only start turning up during seasons when their current contracts are due to finish, academy graduates moving because they think they should be first choice rather than absolutely kicking any doubt into touch with consistently superb performances.
Kids and foreign players picked for England who only have a handful of Premiership matches is a complete joke.
I wonder how many serious rugby talents missed out on an opportunity to become professional rugby players to give Wade his opportunity!
Him leaving the sport is proof that he should've never been in it to pro level in the first place in my opinion.

Yes, I've said similar before. To me, it's irrelevant how much money they make during their career. They play the game because they love it. Once their career is over, they can do another one. Why are they any different to us? Why should their current career set them up for life? Before anyone says because it could end in seconds, that's the risk they take when playing the sport they love.

Its a job! Go professional - it is a job nothing more nothing less. As in any job, if you love what you do then you are probably happy and the money, while essential for some, is secondary? IMO, the whole point of having a career is to set yourself up for life, doing a job that you enjoy. The fact that those in professional sport earn high wages is not just based on their ability within their field, supply and demand factor in and if you can get big bucks fr doing what you enjoy so be it. Good luck to Wade, I hope he achieves whatever he is looking for, even if it is setting himself up for life? Maybe that is all he is good at and a second career would not be so fruitful?

[Spicer]

One of the most dangerous players ever to grace the game. He will be a loss to rugby as a whole.
I guess that he believes that he won't be selected for the World Cup and is unlikely to win another Premiership or European trophy with his current club, with Wasps quite a way off the standard of Sarries and Exceter. Why not try something new. Plus if he manages to crack American Football then the wages will be much more.
He has a real chance of making it as a running back in the NFL. I wish him well.

[ourla]

Yes, I've said similar before. To me, it's irrelevant how much money they make during their career. They play the game because they love it.

It really isn't that simple.

Once their career is over, they can do another one. Why are they any different to us?

Err, they aren't. Changing careers can be very difficult and stressful. As is figuring how much having a certain amount of money means to you.

I suspect for Wade this is a multi-faceted decision - wages, lifestyle, sporting challenge. Sometimes things just make sense.

[Ian Cant]

Great player and great news for Tigers as he has scored a lot of tries against us. Good luck to him as despite how well he plays Eddie Jones won’t pick him therefore why not try something new.

[LE18]

Well his heart clearly isn't here and I see the signs in quite a few these days.
This is just another sign of the current poor state of rugby in England.
Overseas converts and academy starlets more interested in exposure and money and supporters being treated more and more like cash cows.
The quality served up on a weekly basis in the Premiership and Europe by most English sides is dwindling and at an ever increasing cost and difficulty to keep to the salary cap, and England have become very average.

This is a terrible post! How many times did you change your job during your working life? If you did move jobs, why, was it for money, if so do you not fit into any of the categories you mention?

The man has to earn a living, his sports career could be very short, surely to goodness you can understand that?