Christian Wade scores 65-yard touchdown with his first ever touch in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills

Former Wasps and England rugby union player made a splash with his first play in American football

Former Wasps and England rugby star Christian Wade made an immediate impression on the NFL by scoring a 65-yard touchdown with his very first touch in pre-season for the Buffalo Bills.

Wade made the big decision last year to turn his back on rugby union and pursue a potentially lucrative career in American football as part of the International Player Pathway Program, which aims to help overseas talent break into the NFL.

The 28-year-old landed himself a place on the Bills’ roster, but being a running back in a team that is blessed with talent in the position with the likes of LeSean McCoy and Frank Gore well-established named in the NFL.

So if Wade is to make an impression this month and land himself a place on the final 53-man playing roster, he will need to deliver something special. And against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night, he did just that.

In what was his first touch for the Bills, Wade collects the ball off quarter-back Tyree Jackson and immediately cuts back right after spotting a gap in the Colts defence.

Wade scored with his first play in the NFL (Getty)

From there, the former rugby player shows why he was renowned as one of the most lethal finishers in Premiership Rugby history as he turns on the afterburners and explodes through the hole to go 65 yards without a defender getting close to him.

The play sparked wild celebrations on the sideline from his new Bills teammates, while the commentary team could barely believe their eyes as Wade charged towards the house to score with his first touch.

Wade left rugby union as the third-highest try-scorer of all-time with 82 to his name, but it looks like he’s picked up where he left off to get off to a flying start across the pond.