A 28-year-old former rugby player who was ‘overlooked’ by England scored a 65-yard touchdown in his first game for the Buffalo Bills

Photo by AP Images — Adrian Kraus

Former England rugby star Christian Wade made an immediate impact on his Buffalo Bills debut, scoring a brilliant 65-yard touchdown with his first carry of the game.
Wade joined the Bills in April, after quitting rugby in October 2018 to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.
The 28-year-old enjoyed an illustrious rugby career with London Wasps, scoring 82 tries, a total that makes him the Aviva Premiership’s third highest try scorer ever.
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Christian Wade made an immediate impact in his debut for the Buffalo Bills, scoring an incredible 65-yard touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts with his first carry of the game.

Wade, a former rugby union player in England, quit the sport last year to pursue a career in the NFL after becoming increasingly frustrated with his omissions from the England national team, as The Independent reported.

The 28-year-old enjoyed an illustrious career in the Aviva Premiership — England’s top divison of rugby — during his seven year spell with London Wasps, scoring 82 tries — the third highest total in the division’s history.

Despite this, he was "continually overlooked for England selection," according ESPN, being picked only once to represent his national team.

After quitting rugby in October 2018, Wade was snapped up by NFL side Buffalo Bills in April this year, and the former St Mary’s University graduate took little time to make his mark for his new side.

Wade came into the pre-season game in the fourth quarter and, with his first and only carry, burst through the Colts’ defense to score a memorable 65-yard touchdown.

The touchdown sealed an impressive win for the Bills, who emerged 24-16 victors at the New Era Field.

Watch Wade’s insatiable debut effort here:

Wade posted a short video to Twitter after the game in which he thanked the Bills’ fans for their support, and revealed his delight to have scored his first touchdown for his new side.

"Shoutout to all the fans," said a visibly exuberant Wade. "I don’t even know the score but, I appreciate everyone coming out."

He continued: "I’m so happy right now. Appreciate all the support so far, and yeah man, let’s get this, let’s get this!"

The Bills are next in action on August 17, when they take on the Carolina Panthers at the Bank of America Stadium.

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