List of dual-code rugby internationals
No Player Test debut Year At Cross-code debut Date At Position
1 Thomas Cross RU Test v British Lions 1904 Wellington RL Test All Golds v Wales 1 Jan 1908 Aberdare Forward
2 Edgar Wrigley RU Test v Australia 1905 Dunedin RL Test All Golds v Wales 1 Jan 1908 Aberdare Five-eighth
3 Herbert Turtill RU Test v Australia 1905 Dunedin RL Test All Golds v Wales 1 Jan 1908 Aberdare Fullback
4 Massa Johnston RU Test Originals tour match 1905 Britain RL Test All Golds v Wales 1 Jan 1908 Aberdare Forward
5 William Mackrell RU Test v France 1906 Paris RL Test All Golds v Wales 1 Jan 1908 Aberdare Forward
6 George Smith RU Test v Scotland 1905 Edinburgh RL Test All Golds v Northern Union 25 Jan 1908 Headingley Centre
7 Duncan McGregor RU Test v Australia 1903 Sydney RL All Golds tour 1908 Britain & Aust Wing
8 Eric Watkins RU Test v Australia 1905 Dunedin RL All Golds tour 1908 Britain & Aust Forward
9 John Spencer RU Test v Australia 1905 Dunedin RL 1st Test v Australia 12 Jun 1909 Sydney Forward
11 Albert Asher RU Test v Australia 1903 Sydney RL Int ' l Australasia v GB 9 Jul 1910 Sydney Winger
12 Ned Hughes RU Test v Australia 1907 Sydney RL Test v Great Britain 30 Jul 1910 Auckland Hooker
13 George A. Gillett RU Test v Scotland 1905 Edinburgh RL Kiwis tour match 1911 Australia Fullback
14 Billy Mitchell RU Test v Australia 1910 Sydney RL Kiwis tour match 1911 Australia Wing
15 Arthur Francis RU Test v Australia 1905 Dunedin RL Kiwis tour match 1911 Australia Forward
16 Harold Hayward RU Test v British Lions 1908 Auckland RL Kiwis tour match 1912 Australia Flanker
17 Dave Evans RU Test v Australia 1910 Sydney RL Kiwis tour match 1912 Australia Flanker
19 Dougie McGregor RU Test v Australia 1913 Wellington RL 3rd Test v Australia 6 Sep 1919 Auckland Winger
20 Karl Ifwersen RL Test v Australia 1913 Auckland RU Test v South Africa 17 Sep 1921 Wellington 2nd 5/8
21 Jim O'Brien RU international v New South Wales 1922 Sydney RL 1st Test v Great Britain 2 Aug 1924 Wellington Forward
22 Charles Fitzgerald RU international v New South Wales 1922 Sydney RL 1st Test v Great Britain 2 Aug 1924 Wellington Centre
New Zealand
There have been 33 New Zealand dual-code internationals , including 18 who made their debuts before World War One . Only two people became dual-code internationals after first representing New Zealand in rugby league : Karl Ifwersen and Sonny Bill Williams .
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.