 A push into converting union players to rugby league, such as All Blacks John Gallagher, Frano Botica, Matthew Ridge and Va'aiga Tuigamala, occurred during the late 1980s and into the 1990s.When rugby union became professional league players were allowed to play for rugby union teams, leading to a reversal in cross-code switching.Gallagher, Botica and Tuigamala returned to union, while leading league players such as Jason Robinson, Wendell Sailor, Mat Rogers, Lote Tuqiri, Henry Paul and Iestyn Harris, took up rugby union contracts.