List of dual-code rugby internationals explained

A dual-code rugby international is a rugby footballer who has played at the senior international level in both codes of rugby, 13-a-side rugby league and 15-a-side rugby union.

Rugby league started as a breakaway version of rugby in Northern England in 1895 and in New Zealand and Australia in 1908, and consequently a number of early top-class rugby league players had been star players in the rugby union code. Accordingly, a high proportion of Australia and New Zealand's dual-code rugby internationals played in rugby league's formative years in those countries.

From 1910 to 1995, dual-code internationals were infrequent and with the single exception of Karl Ifwersen, the player had always first appeared as a union international before shifting to league, due to strict bans applied by administrators in rugby union, which remained amateur, to those players who crossed to the professional code. In 1995 rugby union itself turned professional and the tide of switches began to reverse. Since then the vast majority of cross-code representatives have debuted internationally in league before moving to union where there is now a larger audience and more money available.

Backs have more often been successful at the highest level of both games than forwards – approximately 65% of the players here listed are backs, although pre-1995 many notable forwards moved from union to league. Since 1995 nearly 90% of the league to union converts who went on to play internationally have been backs.

The following is an incomplete list of dual-code internationals, listed by country.

Australia

No.[1] Player Test debut[2] Year At Cross-code debutDateAt Position
1 2nd RU Test v New Zealand[3] 1907 RL Test All Golds v Wales1 Jan 1908 Centre
2 Denis Lutge[4] Inaugural RU Test v New Zealand[5] 1903 Inaugural RL Test v New Zealand[6] 9 May 1908 Forward
3 2nd RU Test v British Lions[7] 1904 9 May 1908 Winger
4 RU Test v New Zealand[8] 1905 9 May 1908 Half-back
5 1st RU Test v New Zealand[9] 1907 9 May 1908 Forward
6 Robert Graves[10] 1907 9 May 1908 Forward
7 4th RU Test v British Lions[11] 1899 30 May 1908 Forward
8 1907 30 May 1908 Winger
9 Alex Burdon[12] 1903 12 Dec 1908 Forward
10 1st RU Test v British Lions[13] 1904 12 Dec 1908 Forward
11 RU Test v New Zealand1905 10 Feb 1909 Half-back
12 1907 18 Jun 1910 Winger
13 Chris McKivat[14] 1907 18 Jun 1910 Half-back
14 1907 18 Jun 1910 Forward
15 Olympic Final (RU) v Great Britain[15] 1908 18 Jun 1910 Forward
16 1908 18 Jun 1910 Centre
17 1907 18 Nov 1911 Forward
18 1st RU Test v New Zealand[16] 1910 18 Nov 1911 Centre
19 1907 Kangaroo tour match (RL) 1911 England Forward
20 1908 Kangaroo tour match (RL) 1911 England Forward
21 2nd RU Test v New Zealand[17] 1910 Kangaroo tour match (RL) 1911 England Forward
22 1st RU Test v New Zealand[18] 1913 23 Aug 1919 Hooker
23 1st RU Test v New Zealand[19] 1914 23 Aug 1919 Hooker
24 1st RU Test v South Africa[20] 1933 7 Aug 1937 Winger
25 RU Test Aust v New Zealand[21] 1949 31 Mar 1950 Wales Back
26 Ken Kearney[22] 1st RU Test v New Zealand[23] 1947 13 Dec 1952 Hooker
27 1st RU Test v New Zealand[24] 1949 14 Jun 1958 Forward
28 Arthur Summons[25] 1st RU Test v Wales[26] 1958 1 Jul 1961 Half-back
29 RU Test v France[27] 1961 9 Jun 1962 Winger
30 1st RU Test v Fiji[28] 1961 14 Jul 1962 Five-eighth
31 1961 20 Jul 1963 Forward
32 1958 4 Jul 1964 Forward
33 1964 1 Jun 1969 Back
34 Phil Hawthorne[29] 1962 6 Jun 1970 Five-eighth
35 John Brass[30] 1966 6 Jun 1970 Centre
36 1969 29 Oct 1972 Winger
37 1971 15 Jun 1974 Five-eighth
38 1974 24 Jun 1978 Forward
39 1979 6 Jul 1986 Centre
40 Wallaby Argentina Tour (RU) 1987 Argentina 27 Oct 1990 Half-back
41 1988 6 Oct 1991 Forward
42 1996 25 Jul 2000 Back
43 1994 22 Jun 2002 Winger
44 1998 22 Jun 2002 Back
45 2001 7 Jun 2003 Winger
46 2002 26 Jun 2008 Centre
47 2007 22 Jun 2013 Winger
48 2006 10 Jun 2017 Centre

England

No. Player Int'l Debut Year At Cross Code Debut DateAtPosition
1 1896 5 Apr 1904 Forward/
2 1900 2 Jan 1905 Bradford
3 1908 16 Dec 1911 Forward/
4 1908 16 Dec 1911 Forward
5 1908 10 Feb 1909 Prop
6 1912 27 Jun 1914 Forward
7 1925 12 Apr 1926 Pontypridd Fullback
8 1923 11 Jan 1928 Wigan Fullback
9 1949 1 Mar 1950 Wing
10 1961 11 Feb 1968 Forward
11 1959 25 May 1968 Half
12 1969 19 Jan 1975 Wing
13 1967 10 Jun 1975 Prop
14 1974 16 Mar 1979 Centre
15 4 Apr 1987 21 Jan 1989 Fly-half/
16 1988 8 Feb 1992 Wing
17 1994 11 Apr 1999 Back
18 1993 17 Feb 2001 Back
19 1993 3 Feb 2007 Forward
20 Chris Ashton[31] 2006 20 Mar 2010 Wing
21 2009 8 Jun 2013
22 2010 2 Nov 2013 centre
23 2007 15 August 2015 centre

Fiji

No. Player Int'l Debut Year At Cross Code Debut DateAtPosition
1 1982 Suva 12 Jul 1996 Newcastle Centre
2 RU Test 1991 RL Test 1994
3 1990 Nuku A'lofa 9 Jul 1995 Suva Centre
4 1988 9 Jul 1994 Back
5 1992 Nuka A'lofa 8 Oct 1995 Lawkholme Lane, UK Bench
6 1990 Hong Kong 11 Oct 1995 Bench
7 1992 14 Oct 1995 Alfred McAlpine Stadium, UK Bench
8 1988 Nuka A'lofa 14 Oct 1995 Alfred McAlpine Stadium, UK Bench
9 1992 Suva 1 Nov 2000Bench
10 2006 13 Jun 2009 Outside back
11 2008 27 Jun 2009 Outside Center
12 17 Nov 2013 9 Jun 2018 Outside Center

France

No. Player Int'l Debut Year At Cross Code Debut DateAtPosition
1 1927 15 Apr 1934 Paris Forward
2 1931 2 Jan 1938 Back
3 1938 1 Jan 1945 Centre
4
5
6
7 v Ireland1959Lansdowne Road
8 RU Test v Romania 1961 Bayonne 8 Dec 1963 Bordeaux Second-row
9 RU Test v South Africa 1964 Springs 17 Dec 1967 Five-eighth
10 RL Test v 2005 13 Nov 2010 Centre

Hong Kong

Qualifying on residency, New Zealand-born Jack Nielsen became Hong Kong's first dual-code international when the Hong Kong rugby league team played their first ever international match in November 2017.[32]

Italy

No. Player Int'l Debut Year At Cross Code Debut DateAtPosition
1 1936 26 Aug 1950 Left-
2 1949 26 Aug 1950
3 1949 26 Aug 1950
4 2002 9 Jun 2012 Wing
5 2002 22 Oct 2016 Centre

Germany

No. Player Int'l Debut Year At Cross Code Debut DateAtPosition
1 RU Test v ? ? ? RL Test v ? ? ? Fullback
2 RU Test v ? ? ? RL Test v ? ? ? Flanker

Malta

No. Player Int'l Debut Year At Cross Code Debut DateAtPosition
1 2006 Sydney 8 Oct 2008 Marsa Back
2 Matt Jarrett RU Test ≤2009[33] ? RL Test vs Lebanon[34] 6 May 2017 Sydney

New Zealand

There have been 36 New Zealand dual-code internationals. Only four people became dual-code internationals after first representing New Zealand in rugby league: Karl Ifwersen, Sonny Bill Williams, Matt Duffie and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

No.Player Test debutYear At Cross-code debutDateAt Position
1 RU Test v British Lions[35] 1904 1 Jan 1908 Forward
2 RU Test v Australia[36] 1905 1 Jan 1908 Five-eighth
3 RU Test v Australia[37] [38] 1905 RL Test All Golds v Wales1 Jan 1908 Fullback
4 RU Test Originals tour match[39] 1905 Britain 1 Jan 1908 Forward
5 RU Test v France[40] 1906 RL Test All Golds v Wales1 Jan 1908 Forward
6 RU Test v Scotland[41] 1905 25 Jan 1908 Centre
7 RU Test v Australia[42] 1903 RL All Golds tour1908 Britain & Aust Wing
8 RU Test v Australia[43] 1905 RL All Golds tour 1908Britain & Aust Forward
9 RU Test v Australia[44] 1905 12 Jun 1909 Forward
11 RU Test v Australia[45] 1903 9 Jul 1910 Winger
12 RU Test v Australia[46] 1907 RL Test v Great Britain[47] 30 Jul 1910 Hooker
13 RU Test v Scotland[48] 1905 RL Kiwis tour match1911 Australia Fullback
14 RU Test v Australia[49] 1910 RL Kiwis tour match1911 Australia Wing
15 RU Test v Australia[50] 1905 RL Kiwis tour match 1911 Australia Forward
16 RU Test v British Lions[51] 1908 Auckland RL Kiwis tour match 1912 Australia Flanker
17 1910 RL Kiwis tour match 1912 Australia Flanker
18 1913 Wellington[52] 6 Sep 1919 Winger
19 1913 RU Test v South Africa[53] 17 Sep 1921 2nd 5/8
20 1922 RL 1st Test v Great Britain[55] 2 Aug 1924 Forward
21 1922 2 Aug 1924 Centre
22 1921 Christchurch RL 2nd Test v Great Britain[56] 6 Aug 1924 Forward
23 RU international v New South Wales[57] 1920 RL 1st Test v Great Britain[58] 2 Oct 1926 Hooker
24 1924 RL 1st Test v Great Britain[59] 30 Jul 1932 Centre
25 RU Test v South Africa[60] 1928 RL 2nd Test v Australia[61] 2 Oct 1935 Winger
26 1924 14 Aug 1937 Fullback
27 RU Test v Australia[62] 1934 1939 Britain Forward
28 RU Test v Australia[63] 1946 RL Test v England[64] 20 Dec 1947 Halfback
29 RU New Zealand tour match[65] 1985 Argentina RL 3rd Test v Australia[66] 23 Jul 1989 Back
30 1986 3 Jul 1991 Fullback
31 1991 7 Jul 1995 Centre
32 1993 9 May 1996 Back
33 1989 11 Jul 1997 Back
34 2004 6 Nov 2010 Centre
35 2011 30 Nov 2019 Back
36 RLWC v Samoa 2013 16 July 2022 Back

All Golds

See main article: 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.

The 1907 Professional All Blacks (derisively referred to by the New Zealand press as the All Golds) left New Zealand in August 1907 for their ground-breaking tour of Britain via Sydney. The squad contained eight former All Blacks in George Smith, Thomas Cross, William Mackrell, Herbert Turtill, Duncan McGregor, Eric Watkins, Massa Johnston and Edgar Wrigley. These men became New Zealand's first dual-code internationals at the point they first played on the ten-month tour.

The three matches in Sydney between 17 and 24 August against professional New South Wales rugby rebels were played under rugby union rules so do not qualify as international rugby league appearances. But full internationals under "Northern Union" (rugby league) rules were played against Wales in Aberdare on 1 Januard 1908 and three Tests against Great Britain in Leeds on 25 January 1907, Chelsea on 8 February 1907 and Cheltenham on 15 February 1908. Three Test matches were played in Australia on the homeward leg before the All Golds arrived home in June 1908 having played 48 games (tour matches and Tests) as internationals.

Samoa

No. Player Int'l Debut Year At Cross Code Debut DateAtPosition
1 1996 Nov 1994 Half-back
2 1991 12 Oct 1995 Forward

Scotland

No. Player Int'l Debut Year At Cross Code Debut DateAtPosition
1 RU Test v Ireland[69] 1897 1905 or 1906 Bradford or Wigan Forward
2 British Lions v South Africa[70] 1924 5 Oct 1929 Centre
3 RU Five Nations v Ireland[71] 1947 9 Oct 1948 Forward
4 RU Test v France[72] 1951 13 Nov 1954 Three-quarter
5 RWC v France[73] 1987 24 Oct 1992 Back
6 1999 RU Test v Canada[74] 15 Jun 2002 Centre

South Africa

No. Player Int'l Debut Year At Cross Code Debut DateAtPosition
1 1958 20 Jul 1963 Centre,
2 1961 20 Jul 1963 Centre,
3 1999 2005

Tonga

No. Player Int'l Debut Year At Cross Code Debut DateAtPosition
1 1987 1995 Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington Fly-half
2 1995 4 Jun 2006 Wing
3 1995 1998 Tonga Wing
4 2008 8 Jun 2011 Surrey Hooker
5 2011 Halfback

United States

No.Player Test debutYear At Cross-code debutDateAt Position
1 RL Test v ? ? RU Test v ? ?
2 RU Test v ? ? RL Test v ? ?
3 RL Test v ? ? 9 Jun 2012

Wales

With 99, Wales have more than twice the number of dual-code rugby internationals than any other country.

No. Player Int'l Debut Year At Cross Code Debut DateAtPosition
1 1897 5 Apr 1904 Forward
2 1902 RL Test v New Zealand All Golds[75] 1 Jan 1908 Forward
3 1904 28 Dec 1908 Forward
4 1907 28 Dec 1908 Forward
5 1909 10 Dec 1910 Forward
6 1910 10 Dec 1910 Forward
7 1910 10 Dec 1910 Forward
8 1910 7 Oct 1911 Forward
9 1911 20 Jan 1912 Forward
10 1911 15 Feb 1913 Forward
11 1912 15 Feb 1913 Forward
12 1912 14 Apr 1914 Back
13 1913 14 Apr 1914 Forward
14 1913 3 Jul 1920 Half-back
15 1920 19 Jan 1921 Back
16 1919 5 Feb 1921 Workington Back
17 1920 5 Feb 1921 Workington Back
18 1920 1 Oct 1921 Forward
19 1920 10 Dec 1921 Forward
20 1921 10 Dec 1921 Back
21 1919 11 Dec 1922 Back
22 1921 11 Dec 1922 Forward
23 1921 7 Feb 1923 Forward
24 1923 1 Oct 1923 Forward
25 1921 23 Jun 1924 Back
26 1921 7 Feb 1925 Workington Forward
27 1924 12 Apr 1926 Back
28 1924 12 Apr 1926 Back
29 1925 12 Apr 1926 Back
30 1924 4 Dec 1926 Forward
31 1926 26 Apr 1927 Forward
32 1926 6 Apr 1927 Forward
33 1927 6 Apr 1927 Forward
34 1924 14 Nov 1928 Forward
35 1924 14 Nov 1928Half-back
36 1926 5 Oct 1929 Back
37 1927 15 Jan 1930 Forward
38 1928 27 Jan 1932 Back
39 1930 27 Jan 1932 Forward
40 1930 27 Jan 1932 Forward
41 1931 30 Dec 1933 Half-back
42 1933 30 Dec 1933 Forward
43 1933 1 Jan 1935 Forward
44 1934 1 Jan 1935 Forward
45 1935 1 Jan 1935 Forward
46 1930 10 Apr 1935 Forward
47 1930 10 Apr 1935 Back
48 1929 19 Jun 1936 Back
49 1934 7 Nov 1936 Forward
50 1936 5 Nov 1938 Forward
51 1934 23 Dec 1939 Back
52 1939 9 Nov 1940Back
53 1935 18 Oct 1941 Forward
54 1937 10 Mar 1945 Forward
55 1939 10 Mar 1945 Back
56 1936 1 Aug 1946 Half-back
57 1947 20 Nov 1948 Forward
58 1947 22 Oct 1949 Back
59 1949 31 Mar 1951 Back
60 1949 1 Dec 1951 Forward
61 1950 13 Dec 1953 Back
62 1955 1 Mar 1959 Back
63 1960 17 Feb 1963 Half-back
64 1964 16 Jan 1966 Forward
65 1959 21 Oct 1967 Back
66 1962 2 Jun 1968 Forward
67 1962 7 Nov 1968 Back
68 1963 7 Nov 1968 Back
69 1965 7 Nov 1968 Back
70 1968 23 Oct 1969 Back
71 1967 25 Jan 1970 Back
72 1967 31 Oct 1970 Back
73 1970 2 Mar 1975 Back
74 1968 10 Jun 1975 Forward
75 1970 2 Nov 1975 Forward
76 1971 15 Jun 1974 Back
77 1972 15 Jan 1978 Forward
78 1979 26 Jan 1980 Back
79 1973 8 Nov 1981 Back
80 1975 8 Nov 1981 Back
81 1978 8 Nov 1981 Forward
82 1977 24 Oct 1982 Half-back
83 1984 7 Apr 1990 Half-back
84 1985 27 May 1990 Centre
85 1980 17 Oct 1991Back
86 1981 17 Oct 1991 Half-back
87 1986 9 Nov 1991 Forward
88 1991 10 Nov 2001 Back
89 1986 16 Feb 1992 Wing
90 1987 16 Feb 1992 Forward
91 1990 7 Mar 1992 Centre
92 1987 4 Mar 1994 Forward
93 1987 9 Oct 1995 Forward
94 1983 9 Oct 1995 Back
95 1987 9 Oct 1995 Forward
96 1991 9 Oct 1995 Back
97 1993 9 Oct 1995 Forward
98 1995 10 Nov 2001 Back
99 1995 6 Oct 2010 Back

More than one country

No. Player International Debut Year At Cross Code Debut Date At Position
1 1907 1 Jan 1908 Centre
2 RU British Lions tour of Australasia 1908 1910 Back
3 1920 10 Dec 1921 Forward/
4 1987 13 Dec 1992 Fly-half/Interchange/Substitute
5 1986 Nuku A'lofa RL New Zealand v ? 1991 Forward
6 1988 RL Western Samoa v France 5 Sep 1995 Cardiff Back
7 1991 12 Oct 1995 Back
8 1993 Bulawayo 2 Nov 2000 Back
9 1995 2 Mar 2002 Back
10 RL South Africa v ? 1997? 22 Jun 2002 Back
11 2000 7 Jun 2003 Winger
12 2000 2002 Centre
13 1997 21 Jun 2003 Forward
14 2002 27 Oct 2007 Forward
15 1999 2 Feb 2008 Wing
16 1997 13 Jun 2009 Fly-half / five-eighth
17 2004 12 Jun 2010 Back
18 2000 ? 13 Nov 2010 Back
19 2008 9 Jun 2012 Back
20 2002 Wellington 10 May 2013 Dubai Utility/Back
21 2008 12 Nov 2016 Centre
22 2013 16 Sep 2017 Winger

Dally Messenger

See main article: Dally Messenger. Messenger played for Australia in rugby union, and for both New Zealand and Australia in rugby league. One week after his final Test appearance as a Wallaby, Messenger, who was born in Australia, toured Great Britain at the invitation of the New Zealand All Golds in 1907. He made his international rugby league debut on that tour representing New Zealand. His Australian international Test debut was made in Sydney in Australia's inaugural rugby league Test v the Kiwis on 9 May 1908. He made six further international rugby league appearances for Australia.

Emosi Koloto

See main article: Emosi Koloto. Koloto grew up in New Zealand playing rugby union and represented Tonga in the code before switching to league and moving to England. He was called up into the Kiwis in 1991 from the Widnes club and played five tests that year.

John Schuster

See main article: John Schuster. Schuster first played rugby union, representing both Samoa and New Zealand. Later he switched to rugby league and captained Western Samoa in two pool games at the 1995 World Cup.

Henry Paul

See main article: Henry Paul. Paul was born in New Zealand. His senior club rugby league career was played in England but between 1995 and 2001 he regularly returned to New Zealand to make international appearances for the Kiwis. When he switched to union in 2002 he became eligible to represent England by ancestry of his grandfather and he did so in 2002.

Brad Thorn

See main article: Brad Thorn. Thorn was born in Mosgiel, New Zealand. From age eight he played rugby league in Queensland and aged twenty-two he played for Australia during the Super League split year. When the code reunited in 1998 he also played for Australia.

In 2001 he moved to New Zealand and switched to rugby union. He appeared in twelve Tests for New Zealand (the All Blacks) from 2003. For 2005–06 he returned to the National Rugby League in Australia, winning a premiership with the Brisbane Broncos and playing at state level again. In 2008 he switched to rugby union for a second time and was again selected for the All Blacks.

Michael Horak

See main article: Michael Horak. Horak was born in South Africa and represented South Africa in rugby league. He switched to rugby union in 1998 moving to England to play with the Leicester Tigers. He qualifies to represent England via his English mother and did so in 2002.

Lesley Vainikolo

See main article: Lesley Vainikolo. Vainikolo was born in Tonga but raised in New Zealand playing rugby league at school. His league club career was played with the Canberra Raiders in Australia and the Bradford Bulls in England. During that period he made twelve national representative appearances for New Zealand (the Kiwis).

He took up rugby union with Gloucester Rugby in 2007. He was eligible to play for Tonga by birth, New Zealand by parentage or England by residence. He had previously declined to play for Tonga in the 2007 Rugby World Cup so that he could play for his adopted nation. He made his international rugby union debut for England v Wales in February 2008 and played in five tests that season.

Craig Gower

See main article: Craig Gower. After a successful eleven year Australian rugby league career from 1996 to 2007 with the Penrith Panthers, during which he made five State of Origin appearances for New South Wales and twenty-three Test appearances for Australia (5 for the Super League team and 18 for the ARL team), Gower moved to Europe, switched codes and signed with French rugby union side Bayonne from 2008. He is eligible to play for Italy through his Italian grandfather. He was selected for Italy on their mid-season tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2009.

Shontayne Hape

See main article: Shontayne Hape. Hape, a New Zealand Mãori, had a very successful rugby league career in both hemispheres, first with the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL (1999–2002) and then with the Bradford Bulls in the Super League (2003–2008). He made his Test debut for New Zealand in the 2004 Tri-Nations, and eventually appeared in 14 Tests for New Zealand. Hape switched codes in 2008, signing with Bath, for whom he still plays. Under IRB rules, he was already eligible to represent England on residency grounds, having lived there for well over the three years required to qualify. Hape made his union Test debut for England in 2010 against Australia.

Maurie Fa'asavalu

See main article: Maurie Fa'asavalu. Maurie Fa'asavalu is a Samoan rugby union player who formerly played rugby league for St Helens. He was picked in the Great Britain rugby league squad after living in England for 4 years. He also played for England in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup

Bill Hardcastle

See main article: Bill Hardcastle. A New Zealander and an 1897 All Black, Hardcastle journeyed to Sydney in 1899 on hearing that the visiting British rugby union team would be not be travelling to New Zealand. Australian rugby in those days had no residential rules and once he joined Sydney's Glebe RU club he qualified for Australian national selection. He was chosen for Australia in the fourth test of 1899 against Great Britain.

In rugby league he made two Test appearances for Australia and six minor appearances on the 1908 Kangaroo tour.

Va'aiga Tuigamala

See main article: Va'aiga Tuigamala. Tuigamala was nicknamed 'Inga the Winger' and initially represented New Zealand in rugby union. He then switched codes, joining Wigan in 1993. While playing league he represented Western Samoa at the 1995 World Cup. When rugby union turned professional he returned to his original code. Between 1996 and 2000 he represented Samoa in rugby union.

Lote Tuqiri

See main article: Lote Tuqiri (rugby, born 1979). Born in Fiji, Tuqiri was a junior Australian rugby league international at age 19 in 1998. When he missed selection for Australia's 2000 Rugby League World Cup squad he opted to play for Fiji and captained the side in their three pool match appearances. He later played four rugby league Tests for Australia in 2001 before his 2003 switch to union and a long international representative career in that code.

Fred Jackson

See main article: Frederick Stanley Jackson. Jackson toured Australasia with the 1908 Anglo-Welsh Lions. However, during the tour he was accused of professionalism and recalled to England by the Rugby Football Union. Jackson left the touring party but failed to return to England to face the accusations. In 1910 Jackson played rugby league in New Zealand and represented both Auckland and New Zealand against the touring Great Britain side.

First dual-code rugby international

England's Anthony Starks and Wales' Jack Rhapps took the field in the inaugural rugby league international of 5 April 1904 between England and Other Nationalities[76] Starks had made two rugby union Test appearances for England in 1896, and Rhapps had made a single rugby union Test appearance for Wales in 1897, and thus in April 1904 they became the world's first dual rugby code internationals.

The first tour matches played by the New Zealand All Golds in Britain in Nov & Dec 1907 would have seen international cross-code debuts by some of the seven touring former All Blacks. At this stage of the tour the New Zealanders were still familiarising themselves with the new Northern Union rules which they had not seen until they arrived in Leeds in October.[77] The first full international of the tour against Wales on New Year's Day 1908 saw confirmed appearances by Mackrell, Turtill, Wrigley, Johnston & Cross[78] for New Zealand and David Jones for Wales. Thus New Zealand's first five dual-code rugby internationals all achieved that feat in the same match.

Other firsts and lasts

Dual-code internationals who also represented in a third sport

Michael Cleary represented Australia in track & field at the Commonwealth Games making him an international at the senior level in three sports. Dick Thornett achieved the same distinction having also represented for Australia in water polo at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Dai Bishop represented Wales in British Baseball.

See also

References

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Where two players made a simultaneous cross-code debut, ranking is by chronology of the initial international debut.
  2. Tour match international debut shown only where it was the player's highest international appearance; otherwise Test debuts shown. For players who made their cross-code international debut in a tour match but then later appeared in a Test match, this delays the recognition of their DCI status in this listing
  3. Web site: Herbert Henry Messenger. ESPNscrum.
  4. Whitaker (Captaining The Kangaroos) p16
  5. Web site: Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN. ESPNscrum.
  6. Andrews pp19-49
  7. Web site: James Douglas McLean. ESPNscrum.
  8. Web site: Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN. ESPNscrum.
  9. Web site: Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN. ESPNscrum.
  10. Whitaker (Captaining The Kangaroos) p34
  11. Hardcastle had earlier debuted for New Zealand v N.S.W in Sydney in 1897.
  12. Whitaker (Captaining The Kangaroos) p20
  13. Web site: Patrick Bernard Walsh. ESPNscrum.
  14. Whitaker (Captaining The Kangaroos) p42
  15. Web site: Rugby results for the 1908 Summer Olympics . 8 August 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101225033745/http://databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=5&sp=RUG . 25 December 2010 .
  16. Web site: Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN. ESPNscrum.
  17. Web site: Robert Stuart. ESPNscrum.
  18. Web site: Claude Augustus O'Donnell. ESPNscrum.
  19. Web site: Clarence Warwick Prentice. ESPNscrum.
  20. Web site: Alexander Douglas McLean. ESPNscrum.
  21. Web site: Trevor Allan. ESPNscrum.
  22. Whitaker (Captaining The Kangaroos) p160
  23. Web site: Kenneth Howard Kearney. ESPNscrum.
  24. Web site: Rex Peers Mossop. ESPNscrum.
  25. Whitaker (Captaining The Kangaroos) p202
  26. Web site: Arthur James Summons. ESPNscrum.
  27. Web site: Michael Arthur Cleary. ESPNscrum.
  28. Web site: Ronald James Lisle. ESPNscrum.
  29. Whitaker (Captaining The Kangaroos) p244
  30. Whitaker (Captaining The Kangaroos) p280
  31. Web site: Chris Ashton England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk. englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2012. 1 January 2013.
  32. Web site: 24 October 2017. Hong Kong squad announced for first ever international test match. Hong Kong Rugby League. 9 November 2017.
  33. Web site: Gardiner. James. 17 June 2009. Matt Jarrett proves pivotal in reigniting Blacks. The Herald. 3 June 2017.
  34. Web site: 10 May 2017. Flick Passes: Maltese league representative; national schoolboys competition; Jake Finn update; Central's "Pink Test". The Herald. 3 June 2017.
  35. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=190
  36. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=990
  37. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=904
  38. Web site: Archived copy . 9 August 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071012043238/http://rleague.com/db/article.php?id=29285 . 12 October 2007 . Turtill's All Gold appearances
  39. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=438
  40. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=521
  41. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=805
  42. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=568
  43. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=927
  44. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=825
  45. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=23
  46. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=409
  47. Web site: New Zealand vs England 1910 - Rugby League Project.
  48. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=314
  49. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=623
  50. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=287
  51. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=370
  52. Web site: Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN. ESPNscrum.
  53. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=417
  54. The ARU since 1986 have considered these matches as Test matches, the NZRU does not.
  55. Web site: New Zealand vs England 1924 Series - Game 1 - Rugby League Project.
  56. Web site: New Zealand vs England 1924 Series - Game 2 - Rugby League Project.
  57. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=133
  58. http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/New_Zealand_vs_England_1926/Game_1/England-vs-New_Zealand.html
  59. Web site: New Zealand vs England 1932 Series - Game 1 - Rugby League Project.
  60. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=494
  61. Andrews pp19-49
  62. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=539
  63. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=349
  64. http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/England_vs_New_Zealand_1932/Game_3/England-vs-New_Zealand.html
  65. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=789
  66. Web site: New Zealand vs Australia 1989 Series - Game 3 - Rugby League Project.
  67. Web site: Rugby Europe Trophy, Netherlands v Poland 29 February 2020 . 2023-06-09 . Rugby Europe . en-GB.
  68. Web site: Match report Poland v Norway Men's International 12 November 2022 . 2023-06-09 . europeanrugbyleague.com . en.
  69. Web site: Alexander Smith Laidlaw. ESPNscrum.
  70. Web site: Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN. ESPNscrum.
  71. Web site: Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN. ESPNscrum.
  72. Web site: Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN. ESPNscrum.
  73. Web site: Alan Victor Tait. ESPNscrum.
  74. Web site: Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN. ESPNscrum.
  75. Web site: A real pro - 100 years ago . The Telegraph. Brendan Gallagher . 2 January 2008 . 8 August 2008.
  76. England: W.B. Little (Halifax), full back; F. Spottiswoode (Oldham), G. Dickenson (Warrington), J. Lomas (Salford), J. Fish (Warrington), threequarters; J. Baxter (Rochdale Hornets), J. Morely (Halifax), half backs; A. Starks [c] (Hull K.R.), P. Tunney (Salford), J. Riley (Halifax), J.W. Bulmer (Halifax), J. Ferguson (Oldham), forwards.

    Other Nationalities: D. Smith (Salford), full back; D. Thomas (Salford), T.D. Llewellyn (Leeds), D. Harris (Wigan), D.J. Lewis (Oldham), threequarters; E. Davies (Wigan), P.J. Brady (Huddersfield), half backs; J. Rhapps (Salford), J.G. Moffatt (Leeds), G. Frater [c] (Oldham), D. Thomas (Oldham), H. Buckler (Salford), forwards

  77. http://www.newzealandatoz.com/index.php?pageid=826&All+Golds+Rugby+League+Team&PHPSESSID=864 All Golds Tour on New Zealand AtoZ.com
  78. Web site: Wales vs New Zealand 1908 . Shawn Dollin . https://archive.today/20090811052038/http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/Wales_vs_New_Zealand_1908/Wales-vs-New_Zealand.html . 11 August 2009 . live . 9 August 2009 .

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