Ryan Paul Cross

Ryan Cross was a star schoolboy when he attended Sydney’s Waverley College and he was far from out of place when selected alongside the likes of Phil Waugh and George Smith in the Australian Schools’ teams of 1996 and 1997.

In 1998, Cross chose to follow in the footsteps of his father Paul and play rugby league. He signed with the Sydney Roosters where he played 143 first grade matches and scored 85 tries over nine seasons. Cross returned to the 15-a-side game in 2007 when he joined the Western Force and then won selection for Australia ‘A’. He was chosen as the Force ‘Player of the Year’ in 2008 and was rewarded with a Test debut against France in Sydney.

Over the 2008-09 seasons Cross won 18 Test caps.

He moved to the Waratahs in 2011 but missed selection in the Wallabies Rugby World Cup squad.

Highlights

1996

Represented Australian Schools as a fullback against Ireland Schools.

1997

Represented Australian Schools as a fullback against both England Schools and New Zealand Schools.

2008

Cross won his first Test cap off the bench when he replaced Berrick Barnes at inside centre (before swapping to No.13 with Stirling Mortlock) in the 34-13, 1st Test victory over France at ANZ Stadium. A week later, and as a replacement, Cross scored his first Test tries in the 40-10, 2nd Test win against France at Suncorp. Cross won a total of 11 Test caps, was selected on the end-of-season Spring Tour and finished the year as the incumbent outside centre.

2009

In what was his final season of Test rugby, Cross won seven Test caps and scored two tries, the last of which was memorable for all the wrong reasons. His final minute five-pointer against Scotland went unconverted and that 82nd minute miss saw the Wallabies lose to their northern hemisphere rivals for the first time since 1982.