Premiership 7s win is just the start for Wasps

Christian Wade believes victory in the Singha Premiership Rugby 7s Series is just the start for Wasps this season, as the club continue to move in a positive direction.
In a thrilling final match in front of a bouncing Ricoh Arena, Wasps edged out Exeter Chiefs 31-28 to claim their first silverware since their Premiership Rugby success eight years ago.
And Wade, who was brought in after the group stages to boost a Wasps’ squad that already included the likes of Frank Halai and Nick De Luca, is confident that more success will follow for the squad this season.
“Ultimately for Wasps we haven’t won anything for eight years, so to get some silverware today is a great start,” said Wade.
“It’s the direction we’ve been heading towards for a few years now and hopefully we can take that on into the Aviva Premiership Rugby season and push on and win more silverware.
“We can take a lot from this, the boys have worked hard throughout pre-season and to come out here and do that today, we’ve worked hard on the field for each other and it’s another stepping stone.”
There were huge cheers for the Wasps’ wing every time he touched the ball, and Wade demonstrated his 7s prowess with a try in each of Wasps’ three games on Sunday.
And the former England 7s international admits he will always love playing 7s rugby given how much it helped him develop as a player.
“Rugby 7s is a game that pushed me on in my career at the age of 18 or 19, and it’s probably one of my first loves in the sport so it’ll always be close to my heart,” he added.
“I know 7s pretty well. When I was asked to do it I was really excited to get involved and help the boys on the field.”
In the Plate competition, Cardiff Blues came out on top with a try in the final play giving them a 28-22 victory over Harlequins, and Owen Jenkins hopes the Singha 7s challenge can spur the Welsh side on to a productive league campaign.
“It’s a great tournament and a great chance for us to test ourselves against the best of the English Premiership,” said Jenkins.
“It’s a credit to us to get some silverware in such a hotly-contested tournament with quality teams all over the board.
“It’s nice to play against some unfamiliar opposition and really test yourself.”