45-443: Alan Victor Tait (born 2 November 1964) is a former Scottish dual-code rugby footballer, and now coach . He is a defence coach at the Super 6 side Southern Knights . He was previously head coach at Newcastle Falcons and a former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer. He played outside centre for Scotland (RU), and the British and Irish Lions . He played club rugby union for Kelso , Edinburgh and
90-779: 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 Koloto grew up in New Zealand playing rugby union and represented Tonga in
135-567: A career spanning 26 years he coached the most recent Scottish side to win a Grand Slam in the 1990 Five Nations Championship , and won Premiership Rugby & the European Cup with London Wasps in 2008 and 2007. He was head coach on four tours for the British & Irish Lions spanning 1989 to 2009 and was an assistant to the 2005 tour as well. McGeechan was born in Leeds to a Glaswegian father who
180-458: 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
225-535: A nine-year absence in 1997 and went on to represent the British & Irish Lions in South Africa also in the summer of that year. Surprising many Tait was selected to start the first two Tests on the wing, even though his favoured and more recognised position was at centre. This was due to coach Ian McGeechan believing that Tait would add extra defensive capabilities to the backline over the other wingers, in what would be
270-616: A second time and was again selected for the All Blacks. 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 Vainikolo was born in Tonga but raised in New Zealand playing rugby league at school. His league club career
315-610: 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
360-650: A tight test series. He famously scored a try in the first match as the Lions won 25–16 in Cape Town. He also played in the second match which saw the Lions clinch the series after a dramatic 18–15 victory in Durban. Injured before the 3rd Test he did not play as the Lions lost the last match 35–16. For Scotland Tait developed a devastating partnership with John Leslie . Many saw their pairing as instrumental in Scotland's good performances of
405-461: 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,
450-426: Is a Scottish rugby union player, coach and teacher. Born in Leeds, McGeechan represented Headingley as his only club during a 15-year club career, qualifying for Scotland through his father he played 32 times internationally for Scotland over 7 years and won 8 caps on two tours for the British & Irish Lions . During his playing career he worked as a teacher. Upon retiring from playing McGeechan began coaching, in
495-399: Is an exceptional record especially when considering that the bulk of these games were played after his return from League at the age of 32. Partly because of this it is why Tait is still regarded in high esteem by Scotland supporters to this day. Following his retirement from playing he then moved into coaching, initially working with Scotland as a defence coach. Although he was dismissed from
SECTION 10
#1732859411152540-427: The 1988–89 John Player Special Trophy Final during the 1988–89 season at Burnden Park , Bolton on Saturday 7 January 1989, and played fullback , and scored a try in the 24-0 victory over Leeds in the 1991–92 Regal Trophy Final during the 1991–92 season at Central Park , Wigan on Saturday 11 January 1992. In the 1992 World Cup Final at Wembley Stadium Tait was selected to play for Great Britain from
585-599: The 1989–90 season , Tait played for defending champions Widnes at fullback in their 1989 World Club Challenge victory against the visiting Canberra Raiders . Tait won the Harry Sunderland Trophy in both 1989 and 1990. Alan Tait played fullback in Widnes ' 24–18 victory over Salford in the 1990 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1990–91 season at Central Park , Wigan on Saturday 29 September 1990. Alan Tait played fullback in Widnes ' 6-12 defeat by Wigan in
630-698: The Anglo Welsh Cup title, beating Llanelli Scarlets in the final at Twickenham . In his second season, London Wasps claimed the Heineken Cup and in his third season, London Wasps won the Premiership In February 2010, McGeechan joined the coaching staff at Gloucester as an advisor to Head Coach Bryan Redpath and his coaching team. but moved to local rivals Bath to take up the post of performance director in June 2010. In 2011, McGeechan took over as
675-488: The British & Irish Lions in both 1974 and 1977 . In 1986, McGeechan became the assistant Scotland coach to Derrick Grant and in 1988 he was promoted to coach. In 1990 his team won a Grand Slam victory in the Five Nations Championship . His forwards coach and partner was Jim Telfer . McGeechan was the British & Irish Lions head coach in 1989 , 1993 , 1997 and 2009 . In 2005, he coached
720-505: The Hong Kong rugby league team played their first ever international match in November 2017. 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 . The 1907 Professional All Blacks (derisively referred to by
765-591: The Newcastle Falcons ; and club rugby league for Widnes and Leeds . Tait changed codes twice in his life, once going from rugby union to rugby league, and then going the other way after union became professional during the mid-1990s. Unlike many other cross-code converts of the period, Tait had the benefit of growing up in Cumbria , where his father, Alan Senior, was playing for Workington Town . However, Tait played Union first and made his Test début for Scotland in
810-596: 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
855-495: 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. England's Anthony Starks and Wales' Jack Rhapps took
900-407: The 2008 Rugby League World Cup 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
945-570: 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
SECTION 20
#1732859411152990-485: 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 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 Paul was born in New Zealand. His senior club rugby league career
1035-597: The director of rugby at Bath following Steve Meehan's departure. In July 2012, McGeechan was appointed the executive chairman of Leeds Carnegie. In February 2024, McGeechan was brought in as the Director of Rugby at RFU Championship side, Doncaster Knights , and helps Joe Ford with the squad. Note: World Rankings Column shows the World Ranking Scotland was placed at on the following Monday after each of their matches During his coaching career, McGeechan
1080-707: The field in the inaugural rugby league international of 5 April 1904 between England and Other Nationalities 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
1125-677: 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 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 Born in Fiji, Tuqiri
1170-408: The homeward leg before the All Golds arrived home in June 1908 having played 48 games (tour matches and Tests) as internationals. With 99, Wales have more than twice the number of dual-code rugby internationals than any other country. 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
1215-565: The inaugural 1987 World Cup held in New Zealand where, he came on after seven minutes as a replacement in a 20–20 draw with France in Christchurch. Tait played for the Reds Trial side in their match against Blues Trial on 3 January 1987 . The following year Tait switched codes to rugby league where he was to spend the next eight years playing club rugby for Widnes and Leeds , as well as representing Great Britain and Scotland . During
1260-537: The midweek side on the Lions' tour to New Zealand on the invitation of Sir Clive Woodward . In 1994, McGeechan was appointed as Director of Rugby at Northampton and in 1999 replaced Jim Telfer as Scottish Director of Rugby. McGeechan was appointed Director of Rugby at London Wasps in 2005 after an unsuccessful and unhappy period as the Scottish Director of Rugby. In his first season of 2005/06 he led Wasps to
1305-406: 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. Qualifying on residency, New Zealand-born Jack Nielsen became Hong Kong's first dual-code international when
1350-641: The post by Matt Williams he was later restored to that role by Williams successor Frank Hadden . In 2004 he joined the Borders as a defensive coach. Tait then moved back to the Falcons as an assistant before assuming the top job at the Premiership club as part of a restructuring process in the wake of Steve Bates' departure from the post of director of rugby in 2009. He held the position of Head Coach of Newcastle from 2009 to 2012 until club owner, Semore Kurdi announced Tait
1395-408: 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
Alan Tait - Misplaced Pages Continue
1440-529: The reserve bench in their defeat by Australia. He also made appearances in the Challenge Cup Finals in 1994 and 1995 With the advent of Rugby Union turning professional Tait along with many other converts switched codes back to union in 1996 signing for the Newcastle Falcons with whom he won the Premiership in 1998, making 19 appearances that season. At first he was ignored by the Scotland selectors but eventually made his return for Scotland after
1485-562: The same match. 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 . Ian McGeechan Sir Ian Robert McGeechan , OBE (born 30 October 1946)
1530-616: 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. The first full international of the tour against Wales on New Year's Day 1908 saw confirmed appearances by Mackrell, Turtill, Wrigley, Johnston & Cross for New Zealand and David Jones for Wales. Thus New Zealand's first five dual-code rugby internationals all achieved that feat in
1575-580: 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
1620-519: The time and allowing stand-off Gregor Townsend to exploit gaps in the opposition defence. This was no more apparent that in the 1999 Five Nations Championship where Townsend would become the fifth and last player in history to score a try against each of the other countries in the five nations tournament. The championship culminated in Scotland narrowly finished ahead of England on points difference thanks to Wales' last minute victory over England at Wembley. Tait scored two tries in Scotland's last match of
1665-489: The tournament as they put in an historic performance to beat France 36–22. Later that year he represented Scotland for the last time at the 1999 World Cup finishing with a defeat by the All Blacks. He scored a try against South Africa in the pool stages at Murrayfield in a 46–29 reverse to the holders. In 2000 Tait retired from professional rugby finishing his last game playing for his last club Edinburgh Reivers . In all Tait played 27 times, scoring 17 tries, for Scotland, this
1710-627: Was 'taking a break from rugby' following a series of poor results. On 7 July 2022 he was appointed the Defence Coach to the Southern Knights . Tait has a son, Michael, who was also a professional rugby union player. Michael appeared for the Scotland national under-20 rugby union team in 2010 and signed for Edinburgh in 2014 before retiring later the same year due to injury. Dual-code rugby internationals A dual-code rugby international
1755-444: 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 Jackson toured Australasia with
1800-555: 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 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
1845-446: Was also a PE teacher for over two decades. McGeechan taught sport and geography at Fir Tree Middle School and Moor Grange County Secondary School in Leeds . McGeechan was knighted in the 2010 New Year Honours for his services to rugby, having previously received an OBE in the 1990 Birthday Honours . In August 2014, McGeechan was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to
Alan Tait - Misplaced Pages Continue
1890-595: Was in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders . He attended West Park County Secondary School and Moor Grange County Secondary School and became Head Boy and trained to be a PE teacher at Carnegie Physical Training College (now part of Leeds Metropolitan University ). Although his family mostly played football , he took to rugby while in school. McGeechan played for Headingley and made his debut for Scotland in 1972. He won thirty-two caps, playing at fly-half and centre . He captained Scotland on nine occasions. He toured with
1935-528: 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 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
1980-818: 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 After
2025-654: Was selected for Italy on their mid-season tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2009. 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
#151848