Blades was born in Sydney. He had one full international cap for
Australia against
England in Sydney on 12 July 1997. Australia won the match 25–6. He also played for the Australian Under 21s. His brother
Andrew Blades also played for Australia and was a member of the 1999 Rugby World Cup winning team. He was signed for
Glasgow Warriors in 2001 by coach
Richie Dixon and entered the UK because of his Irish passport, leaving the New South Wales Waratahs. This meant he could play in the
Heineken Cup as a non-foreigner. While not playing for Warriors, he played for
Glasgow Hawks. ==Coaching==