A one-cap wonder is harder to come by in the modern era of professional rugby, especially so for England. With Autumn Internationals and Summer Series presenting opportunities for fringe players to run out in the white jersey, it is proving ever rarer to find players to just do it once.
These five players were all only given one opportunity for a full international test match for England.
Christian Wade
A recognisable name to the fans of Premiership rugby, it is surprising to here that former Wasps winger Christian Wade has only ever received one England cap during his career. A breakout star of the Wasps academy, Wade’s electric pace and match-made stamina took him to the England 7s set-up, where he scored 22 tries in the 2009/10 World Sevens Series.
Wade soon became involved in the England U20s, making his debut in the 2010 IRB Junior World Championships, and achieved a professional contract with Wasps soon after. A certain fan favourite during the ‘London Wasps’ era, Wade entertained the crowd with his performances at Adams Park. He tied the record for most tries in a Premiership rugby game, when he scored six against Worcester Warriors, in a 54-35 thriller at the appropriately named Sixways Stadium.
Fan anticipation grew for Wade to get his England call-up, and his full test debut came to fruition on the 2013 summer tour of Argentina. Wade played the full 80 minutes on the right wing, and scored in the 3 – 32 away win in Salta. Wade was called up for the 2013 British Lions tour, yet was uncapped for the test matches and untimely, injuries halted his international momentum. In 2018, took him to make the decision to move across the pond, and pursue a career in the NFL.
Wade was signed as a running back by the Buffalo Bills, yet did not have a prominent impact. He made just one appearance in a pre-season match against the Indianapolis Colts, yet marked the occasion with a touchdown. After three seasons in the Bills’ practice squad, Wade made the jump back to rugby. In September 2022, he signed for Parisian giants Racing 92.