| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ryan Cross | |||||
| Nickname | Noughts | |||||
| Born | 6 October 1979 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) | |||||
| Weight | 102 kg (16 st 1 lb) | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Rugby league | ||||||
| Position | Centre | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 1998–2006 | Sydney City Roosters | 143 | 85 | 4 | 0 | 348 |
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2004–2005 | City Origin | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Rugby union | ||||||
| Position | Outside Centre | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2007–2010 | Western Force | 49 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| 2011–2011 | NSW Waratahs | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 2011–2011 | USA Perpignan | |||||
| 2011- | Racing Metro 92 | |||||
| Total | 64 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 55 | |
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2008– | Wallabies | 18 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| As of 21:35, 5 July 2008 (UTC) | ||||||
| Source: RLP, Western Force and Yesterday's Hero | ||||||
Ryan Cross (born 6 October 1979) is a Rugby Union football player for Racing Metro 92 after signing from USA Perpignan in the French Top 14. He previously played for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition, the Western Force and the NSW Waratahs in Super Rugby.
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Son of former rugby league player Paul Cross, Ryan was a product of Waverley College, and was a member of the Australian Rugby Union Schoolboys side in both 1996 and 1997, some of his team-mates being future Wallabies Matt Dunning, Adam Freier, David Lyons, George Smith, Phil Waugh, and rugby league star Craig Wing. But he decided to switch codes and joined the Sydney Roosters rugby league club.
Cross made a spectacular first-grade debut on 17 April 1998, scoring two tries against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. After a promising start to his league career, including a Grand Final appearance in 2000, the Roosters' first in 20 years, he had two serious leg injuries. A broken leg saw him miss much of the 2001 NRL season at a time when he was touted as being in line to make his State of Origin debut. Just a few matches into the 2002 NRL season he suffered a major knee injury that kept him out for the remainder of that year. That season, Sydney Roosters won the Premiership, their first in 27 years. Cross returned in the 2003 NRL season, finishing as the club's leading try-scorer. He played at centre in the Roosters' loss to the Panthers in the 2003 NRL Grand Final. Cross then played in the Roosters loss to the Bulldogs in the 2004 NRL Grand Final. Cross was the 2005 Sydney Roosters player of the year.
In 2004 and 2005 he was chosen to represent City Origin.
Cross left the Roosters as the fifth-highest try scorer in the club's history, with 85 tries from his 143 matches. He also played in three losing Grand Finals for the club.
Ryan's father, Paul Cross, was an Eastern suburbs junior who played on the wing for the club in the 1964 and 1965 seasons. His brother Clay is a notable shot put athlete. Representing Australia at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, 2002 in Manchester and 2006 in Melbourne.
In 2005 he was suspended for six weeks for eye-gouging Parramatta's Glenn Morrison in a match which the Roosters won 12-8. His absence proved costly for the Roosters as they just missed the finals that year.
In June 2006, after a period of speculation and rumour, Cross signed a two-year deal with the Australian Rugby Union and went to Perth to play for the new Super 14 side, the Western Force.[1] He made his debut with the club on 2 February 2007, against the Highlanders. He went on to play every match that season and scored three tries.
After an outstanding 2008 Super 14 season, in which he won The West Australian/Rosendorff Emirates Western Force Player of the Year Award,[2] Cross was called up for national duty by new Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.
He scored his first Wallaby try against France at the Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane in his second test on 5 July 2008, having come on as a Second-Half replacement. He followed this with another try later on in the game, both came from Matt Giteau passes.
Ryan Cross got his full test debut against New Zealand on 26 July in place of the injured Stirling Mortlock. He scored the first try which contributed to the 34-19 victory over the All Blacks.
In 2011 Cross signed with the NSW Waratahs and played in 15 matches during the 2011 Super Rugby season. After playing off the bench in the first few matches, Cross then played the remaining matches as the regular starting centre, including the semi final loss to the Auckland Blues in Auckland.
At the conclusion of the 2011 Super Rugby season Cross signed for USA Perpignan in the French Top 14. The 3 month contract was cover for centres David Marty and Maxime Mermoz who were on 2011 Rugby World Cup duty with the French team who lost the final to host team New Zealand. He currently plays for Racing Metro 92.
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