News about Christian Wade

Earlier this week, Travis Clayton wandered back through the doors of Procius Limited. Up until a few months ago, this was where the 23-year-old passed his days, working for the UK's 'leader' in 'pre-employment background checking services'.  Put simply, Clayton helped companies hire the right person for the job. He returned a couple of days after taking on another role. This time, his background had been under the microscope. Clayton's CV had one glaring red flag: no previous experience. But the Buffalo Bills did all their usual checks and decided the Englishman was a good fit.

Yesterday it was announced Travis Clayton - who has never played a competitive game of American football - had been snapped up by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the NFL draft as an offensive lineman. It means Clayton, who last played rugby for eighth-tier Basingstoke RFC last year, will be the latest in a string of rugby league players to head across the Atlantic to break into the American football league.

Rees-Zammit, a former Wales wing, will join the double Super Bowl champion Chiefs' practice squad as he looks to become only the sixth player from the International Player Pathway Programme to make an active roster. Less than two percent of college players make it to the NFL, while Scotland-Williamson revealed the harsh realities of life after he left rugby behind to pursue his American dream.

BY DANIEL MATTHEWS, EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: It's been eight weeks since the rugby star caused global news by joining the NFL's International Player Pathway. Judgement Day is just a few sleeps away: Scouts from around the world and in various sports will showcase their talents and knowledge gained over the past two and a half months. 'We're so close,' says the former Wales wing, who turned 23 during the course. The amount we've learned on and off the track has been amazing... the change has been mad.'

But the ex-Wales wing remained 'jealous' and 'gutted' as he watched his former team be defeated by England in the Six Nations at Twickenham on Saturday from Florida. Rees-Zammit was one of rugby's most well-known names. However, he shocked the sport in which he's grown up in January when he left Gloucester's club side with immediate effect. As a result, the 23-year-old was not selected in Wales' Six Nations squad and moved to the United States to participate in the NFL's international player transfer program.

Louis Rees-Zammit of Wales shocked the world when he turned his back on his work with immediate effect earlier this week, when club side Gloucester drafted him in an attempt to secure a deal in America. There had been rumors that the turbo-charged Lion would be heading to France at the end of this season, but there had been no hint that he was planning to cross the Atlantic for a new sporting journey in the United States.

Warren Gatland was stunned by a phone call from Louis Rees-Zammit announcing his surprise move to American football but he continued to focus on his Stateside mission. It wasn't just the Gloucester and Wales wing's sudden career shift that blindsided the wider rugby community. The club and the country had no idea until about noon yesterday, when the initiative was unveiled to them. It had all happened so fast, perhaps fittingly, considering that the young prodigy is best known for his ferocious speed. Rees-Zammit is facing an imminent but thrilling upheaval. On Thursday, he is scheduled to fly to Florida and then begin a 10-week evaluation camp next week as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway program, which costs the NFL $2-3 million per year. He will not be paid while attending the camp until he is signed up by a franchise. He will be one of 16 candidates scheduled to be unveiled in Brandenton, Florida, and he is one of 16 candidates.

After the wing was released by Gloucester with immediate effect to request a player in the NFL, they would be without Zammit, and Gatland was caught off guard. "I learned it about an hour ago," he said. About half an hour ago, I think I spoke to Louis. It's a little surprise. Gloucester had contacted us and I talked with George Skivington (club's director of rugby) about 12. ' In the last 24 hours, stuff has happened very quickly.'

Louis Rees-Zammit is expected to make a World Cup appearance on his resume, which also includes a Six Nations title victory and a Lions tour at the age of 22. And the good news for Wales fans ahead of the tournament? The flying wing claims to be the fastest he's ever been, which is a worrying threat to opposition defenses. Rees-Zammit's latest time was 24.2 miles per hour, much faster than the 24mph he hit against the Barbarians in 2021. He hopes to light up rugby's biggest stage in a red shirt after being selected in Warren Gatland's 33-man Wales World Cup squad on Monday.

CHRIS FOY: The 20-year-old, who has started his Test career on the wings, came to fame last year with his dazzling, try-scoring exploits for London Irish immigrants. He made his international debut last summer as a youth and marked the occasion by touching down in a late cameo against Australia in Perth. When Ireland went into administration last month, Arundell was left temporarily unemployed. However, he soon had a slew of suitors within and outside the Premiership.

COMMENT: The shock is seismic. The landscape of English rugby has been drastically changed at a stroke. Wasps are no longer available. Gone. The sport's marquee name has been misspelled. And so much in this season of turbulence and upheaval, it's difficult to comprehend. As the struggling but beloved club went into administration last fall under a mountain of debt, there were soon encouraging signs of a forthcoming revival. Saviours have appeared, or at least it seemed. However, those who wanted to resuscitate Wasps were unable to find a way to do so. They've been looking for a solution for months and months, but the numbers don't add up.

What an oval-ball year it has been, with epic feats on the field and several alarming and seismic events that have highlighted the game's precarious and turbulent nature. Over the past 12 months, rugby has veered remarkably between extremes; with scandal and chaos, exciting matches and grand occasions, Rugby has erupted. Here, Sportsmail looks back at some of the key events along the way…

After three years with the Buffalo Bills, Christian Wade has returned to rugby with his French super team Racing 92, pursuing his dream of playing American Football in the NFL. Danny Cipriani, a sportsmail columnist, caught up in Paris with his former Wasps teammate to discuss his work, their shared experience of being regarded as maverick talents, and how rugby must evolve in this period of turmoil. Chris Foy, a Rugby reporter, listened in.

Alix Popham (pictured) has requested that every professional rugby player be scanned annually so that future head injuries and concussions can be tracked more closely. Popham, a back-row of Wales, is one of more than 200 former actors in a case against the game's authorities after being diagnosed with early-onset dementia and probable chronic encephalopathy (CTE) as a result of injuries suffered during his career. The 42-year-old is now a leading figure in Progressive Rugby, a party that is calling for greater care for today's players.

In the Supersevens series on Channel, the ex-Wasps wing, who has recently returned to this shores after three years with the Buffalo Bills, has been drafted. The 31-year-old is expected to participate in the French giants Racing 92 in a sevens tournament on Saturday, nearly four years since his last rugby appearance. Wade has teased a return to rugby since his NFL career came earlier this year. He has held talks with many clubs and has been linked to a promotion to the top 14.