Former England rugby union international Christian Wade has made an immediate impact as he tries to forge a career in American football.

The 28-year-old, who left Premiership side Wasps last year to try his luck in the NFL, scored a 65-yard touchdown with his first touch for the Buffalo Bills.

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Playing as a running back, Wade made his debut for the team in a pre-season match against the Indianapolis Colts.

Christian Wade of Wasps scoring his fifth try of the match
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Wade retired from rugby last year to pursue his NFL dream

Coming into the game in the fourth quarter, he received the ball from the quarterback, cut through a gaping hole in the Colts defence and sprinted to the end zone untouched.

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The Bills won 24-16 at New Era Field in Buffalo, New York.

“I knew where I was going even before the ball came because they overloaded one side,” Wade told ESPN.

“Then as soon as I got the ball I was off to the races.

“I was looking up at the screen to see if any of the linebackers or anyone was coming up behind me.”

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Wade signed for Buffalo in April as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway.

The programme aims to give athletes from outside the US the chance to earn a place on the roster of an NFL team.

Wade, who is tied for third in the Premiership Rugby’s all-time try-scorers list on 82, announced in October that he was retiring from the sport to pursue an NFL career.

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