There are many footballers who have converted from one
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
code to another at a professional or representative level. In some cases, the player may also return to the original code, so the traffic is not merely one way.
In some countries, such as the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, where multiple codes are popular, and the practice of switching codes is relatively common, such players are known as ''code converts'' or ''code hoppers''. In Australia, star code converts can have a substantial impact on the games. For instance,
Dally Messenger
Herbert Henry Messenger, nicknamed "Dally" and sometimes "The Master" (12 April 1883 – 24 November 1959) was one of Australasia's first professional rugby footballers, recognised as one of the greatest-ever players in either code. He played f ...
's defection from rugby union to rugby league was considered a pivotal moment in the establishment of the latter over other codes in Australia.
Globalisation
Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...
is increasing the opportunities for players to transfer to different countries and to different professional sports, including the forms of football.
From American football
American football to Association football
American football to Australian rules football
American football to Canadian football
American football and Canadian football are very similar
gridiron codes; talented Canadian youth players are often recruited by American universities offering scholarships, and conversely the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
enforces roster minimums for Canadian-trained players to prevent its clubs from fielding American-dominated teams. The CFL and NFL competed for the same player pool in their earlier years before the CFL settled into a ''
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
'' (and from time to time formal) developmental role to its American counterpart. Dozens of professional players move between these codes' top professional leagues every year, making any attempt at a list incomplete at best.
Two
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
s in particular became well known in both codes.
Warren Moon
Harold Warren Moon (born November 18, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played professionally for 23 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Houston Oilers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Edmonto ...
, a
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
native who starred at the
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...
, began his professional career with the
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at the Brick Field at Commo ...
before crossing the border back south to the
Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 as ...
and later
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
, earning Hall of Fame recognition in both professional leagues.
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard Flutie (born October 23, 1962) is an American former football quarterback whose professional career spanned 21 seasons. He played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CF ...
, who authored a
comeback win for
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
considered an iconic moment in the history of American college football, began his professional football career in the
USFL
The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...
before moving on to the NFL, then played a long CFL career that led to him being the first non-Canadian honored with induction to
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (french: Panthéon des sports canadiens; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canad ...
, before returning to the NFL to close his football career.
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he was integral to the developm ...
played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
, and was on
practice squad
In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...
in the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
.
Ricky Williams
Errick Miron (born Errick Lynne Williams Jr.; May 21, 1977) is an American former football running back who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
After playing baseball an ...
played 12 seasons in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
, one season in the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
(CFL), and four years of
minor league baseball for the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
.
American football to rugby league
American football to rugby union
NB:
* Isles made the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
practice squad late in the 2013 season, after having become a sevens international. However, he never appeared in an NFL game, and has since signed a professional contract in 15s.
* Tardits switched codes twice: to American football as a young adult, and back to rugby union after a brief NFL career. He played for
Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque (; ), usually known simply as Biarritz, is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Nouvelle-Aquitaine which competes in the Pro D2, the second division of French rugby. Biarritz p ...
and the France under-21 national team before switching to American football, and played for the USA national team after returning to his original code.
From association football
Association football to American football
Numerous American football placekickers grew up playing association football (soccer); however, very few have competed at a very high level in their original code. A large number of the first "soccer-style" placekickers of the 1960s, and early 1970s were Europeans and Latin Americans who changed codes in adulthood. Eventually, kickers who changed codes in adulthood were largely, though not completely, displaced by players who were either born and raised in the U.S. or immigrated to the U.S. at a relatively early age, thus receiving more exposure to American football than most of the first soccer-style placekickers.
Most of the women to have played men's American football have crossed over from association football.
Association football to Australian rules football
Following the establishment of
AFL Women's
AFL Women's (AFLW) is Australia's national semi-professional Australian rules football league for female players. The first season of the league in February and March 2017 had eight teams; the league expanded to 10 teams in the 2019 season, 1 ...
in 2016 (the first professional
women's Australian rules football
Women's Australian rules football (in areas where it is popular, known simply as women's football or women's footy or women's AFL), is the female-only form of Australian rules football, generally with some modification to the laws of the game.
...
competition), several Australian soccer players switched codes. Foot skills are advantageous in switching between these codes and goalkeepers have an advantage in marking and ball handling.
Association football to Gaelic football
Association football to rugby league
*
St Helens R.F.C.
St Helens R.F.C. is a professional rugby league club in St Helens, Merseyside who compete in the Super League, the top tier for rugby league in Great Britain.
They are the current Champions, having won the last 4 consecutive titles, and becom ...
players
Steve Tyrer and
Matty Smith were on the books at
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, ...
and
Everton F.C. respectively. Tyrer was a
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
and Smith was a
midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
, the latter appearing in the Everton reserve team on a few occasions.
Association football to rugby union
*
Luke McAlister
Charles Luke McAlister (born 28 August 1983 in Waitara) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays at fly-half and at centre. He is the brother of New Zealand women's sevens player Kayla McAlister and son of rugby league footballer Char ...
, a New Zealand international
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
footballer, grew up in the north-west of England and had a trial with
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
before converting to rugby union at an early age.
* The late
Nevin Spence
Nevin Spence (26 April 199015 September 2012) was a Northern Ireland-born Irish rugby union player for Ulster in the Pro12. He played as a Centre, but could also play Wing. He was educated firstly at Dromore High School, where he was introduced ...
, former Ulster and Ireland A player, played for Northern Ireland under 16s before switching to rugby.
*
Loreto Cucchiarelli
Loreto Cucchiarelli (born 21 July 1943) is an Italian former rugby union player and a current coach. He played as flanker.
Biography
Cucchiarelli was born in Borgorose, in the province of Rieti. He played for L'Aquila Rugby, where he won the team ...
former
player-coach
A player-coach (also playing coach, captain-coach, or player-manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. A player-coach may be a head coach or an assistant coach. They may make changes to the sq ...
of the Italian rugby union team, played football for
Lazio
it, Laziale
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
at a young age.
*
Conrad Jantjes played for the youth national team of South Africa in soccer, rugby union and cricket.
* Brothers
Kevin O'Flanagan
Kevin Patrick O'Flanagan (10 June 1919 – 26 May 2006) was an Irish sportsman, physician and sports administrator. An outstanding all-rounder, he represented his country at both soccer and rugby union. He was also a noted sprinter and long jum ...
and
Mick O'Flanagan
Mick O'Flanagan (29 September 1922 – 13 September 2015) was an Irish former sportsman who represented his country at both soccer and rugby union. As a soccer player, O'Flanagan played for, among others, Home Farm, Bohemians and Belfast Cel ...
represented Ireland in both soccer and rugby union.
*
Kenny Logan
Kenneth McKerrow Logan (born 3 April 1972) is a retired Scottish rugby union player who played wing for Stirling County RFC and Glasgow District at amateur level; Glasgow Warriors, Wasps RFC and London Scottish at professional level; and ...
, Scottish rugby internationalist had
Football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
trials as a
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
for
Dundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
and
Hearts.
*
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
international
Danny Cipriani
Danny Cipriani (; born 2 November 1987) is an English professional rugby union player currently unattached. He most recently played for Premiership Rugby side Bath and previously played for Gloucester, Sale Sharks and Wasps in the Premiership ...
played on the junior team of
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...
and was offered a spot in
Reading's youth setup before switching to rugby. Even after his switch, he has flirted with a return to association football, having trained with QPR,
Tottenham
Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Waltham ...
, the
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 1995, as part of the Anschutz Corporation, la ...
, and most recently
MK Dons
Milton Keynes Dons Football Club (), usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third tier of the English football league system. The ...
.
*
Melissa Ruscoe has not only represented New Zealand in both
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
and
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
, but has captained both sides.
*
Frank Hadden
Frank Hadden (born 14 June 1954) is a Scottish rugby union coach. He is a former head coach of Scotland and Edinburgh Rugby.
Hadden replaced Matt Williams and was appointed on 15 September 2005. Hadden coached the Merchiston Castle School 1st ...
, Scottish rugby player and coach, had trials with both Queens Park Rangers and
Forfar Athletic
Forfar Athletic Football Club are a Scottish semi-professional football club from the town of Forfar, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Professional Football League and currently play in Scottish League Two. They play their home games a ...
, as well as being offered a contract by
Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the town of Kirkcaldy, Fife. The club was founded in 1883 and currently competes in the Scottish Championship as a member of the Scottish Professional Football Leag ...
.
*
Wesley Fofana, a France international
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
player, grew up in the Paris region of France and trained as a youth with CFF Paris before switching to rugby union as a teenager.
*
Filipo Daugunu
Filipo Daugunu (born 4 March 1995) is a rugby union player who plays for the Queensland Reds in the Super Rugby competition. His position of choice is wing. Fijian-born, Daugunu moved to Australia in 2016 at the age of 20 to pursue a profes ...
, a
Fijian-Australian rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
player changed sports after being an amateur/semi-professional goalkeeper in
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
.
From Australian rules football
Australian rules football to American football
Notably, the specialist role of punter in American football requires similar skills to those found in Australian football players.
Australian rules football to association football
International rules
International rules football ( ga, Peil na rialacha idirnáisiunta; also known as international rules in Australia and compromise rules or Aussie rules in Ireland) is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed ...
participation provides experience with the round ball and
goalkeeping
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
.
As well as the players below, players known to have played amateur level soccer after retiring from the AFL include
Gary Ablett,
James Hird
James Albert Hird (born 4 February 1973) is a former professional Australian rules football player and past senior coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Hird played as a midfielder and half-forward, but h ...
,
Gavin Wanganeen
Gavin Adrian Wanganeen (born 18 June 1973) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), and also for the Port Adelaide Magpies in ...
,
Glenn Manton
Glenn Manton (born 1 June 1973) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton and Essendon. Since leaving the AFL, he has been an author, media personality, youth advocate and professional speaker.
AFL career
Manton played fo ...
and
Ang Christou.
Australian rules football to Canadian football
Notably, the specialist role of punter in Canadian football requires similar skills to those found in Australian football players.
Australian rules football to Gaelic football
![Tadhg Kennelly 2018](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Tadhg_Kennelly_2018.2.jpg)
Some players involved in the Irish Experiment to play professional Australian rules football returned to Ireland and went on to be notable in senior level Gaelic football. Such players have included:
Australian rules football to rugby league
Early in the history of the two codes in Australia, players would interchange the codes and even had discussions of merging them into a single game. Rugby league has since evolved to specialise in physicality and body type making it more difficult for successful conversion between the two, although it does sometimes happen at junior level, particularly in areas where both codes are played (such as the Riverina region). Though the modern specialist and positions in rugby league can be suitable for the body type and skill of some Australian rules players. League players
Darren Lockyer
Darren James Lockyer (born 24 March 1977) is an Australian television commentator and former professional rugby league footballer. Lockyer was an Australian international and Queensland State representative captain, who played his entire profes ...
,
Glenn Lazarus
Glenn Patrick Lazarus (born 11 December 1965) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer, and a former Australian Senator. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative , Lazarus won premier ...
,
Greg Brentnall
Greg Brentnall (born 5 December 1956 in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. An Australian international and New South Wales representative and , he played for Canterb ...
,
[Greg Brentnall – Wagga City Council](_blank)
/ref> Chris Kinna, Kevin Proctor and Tom Trbojevic
Thomas Peter Trbojevic (born 2 October 1996), also nicknamed "Tommy Turbo", is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a as well as a wing and centre for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the NRL and plays for Austra ...
all played Aussie Rules at a junior level.
Australian rules football to rugby union
Jason Akermanis
Jason Dean Akermanis (born 24 February 1977) is a former professional Australian rules football player who played in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is a Brownlow Medallist and triple premiership player who played for the Brisbane Bea ...
was the first professional Australian football player to suggest a switch to rugby union. Nevertheless, there are still some positions and roles that have commonalities.
Also at amateur level, conversion is quite common, as in the case of many start-up Australian rules clubs in countries such as France and countries such as New Zealand, Samoa and Papua New Guinea where there are dual-internationals at junior level.
From Canadian football
Canadian football to American football
As discussed above, Canadian and American football are highly similar gridiron codes. Dozens if not hundreds of players and coaches move back and forth between Canadian and American codes every season and occasionally even within a season, making assembling a list of these players an impossible and largely immaterial task.
From Gaelic football
Gaelic football is especially vulnerable to code-switching, for reasons outlined by rugby union journalist Hugh Farrelly in 2009:
Gaelic football to association football
Ladies' Gaelic football to association football
Several ladies Gaelic football
Ladies' Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach na mBan) is a women's team sport. It is the women's equivalent of Gaelic football. Ladies' football is organised by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association. Two teams of 15 players kick or hand-pass a ...
ers, including All-Ireland
All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) refers to all of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Ireland" is most frequently used to refer to sporting teams or events for the entire islan ...
finalists, Niamh Fahey
Niamh Fahey (born 13 October 1987) is an Irish footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder for Liverpool in the Women's Super League and the Republic of Ireland women's national football team. She has previously played for Chelsea. Before ...
and Sarah Rowe
Sarah Rowe (born 25 July 1995) is a triple code sportswoman. She is a former Republic of Ireland women's association football international. In addition to association football, Rowe has also played two other football codes at a senior level. ...
, have gone on to represent the Republic of Ireland women's national association football team.
Gaelic football to Australian rules football
These two codes share many similarities, making switching between them relatively easy. International rules
International rules football ( ga, Peil na rialacha idirnáisiunta; also known as international rules in Australia and compromise rules or Aussie rules in Ireland) is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed ...
representation for players of both codes is common.
The Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...
prohibits professionalism, meaning that there is a financial lure for players to compete in the professional elite Aussie Rules competitions in Australia.
Ladies' Gaelic football to Australian rules football
Gaelic football to rugby league
Gaelic football to rugby union
Up until the mid-1990s, both codes were officially amateur. However, the professionalisation of rugby union has provided a financial lure.
NB: Byrne and Duffy both changed codes twice. Each first switched to rugby union as a teenager, then returned to Gaelic football after a long professional rugby career. This entry discusses their Gaelic football careers before their first code switch.
Ladies' Gaelic football to rugby union
Lindsay Peat
Lindsay Peat is an Ireland women's rugby union international. Peat represented Ireland at the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. Peat is an all-round sportswoman. In addition to representing Ireland at women's rugby union, she has also played for t ...
played for Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
in the 2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
, 2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
and 2014 All-Ireland finals before playing for Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
in the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. The Ireland squad featured at least six other former ladies' inter-county footballers – Niamh Briggs
Niamh (; from Old Irish ) is an Irish language, Irish feminine given name (meaning "bright" or "radiant"), Anglicisation, anglicised as Neve, Nieve, Neave, Neavh or Neeve.
In Irish mythology, Niamh (mythology), Niamh is the daughter of the god ...
, Claire Molloy
Claire Molloy is an Ireland women's rugby union international from Galway. Molloy represented Ireland at the 2010, 2014 and 2017 Women's Rugby World Cups. At the 2014 tournament she was a member of the Ireland team that defeated New Zealand a ...
, Cliodhna Moloney, Katie Fitzhenry, Nora Stapleton
Nora Stapleton is a former Ireland women's rugby union international. Stapleton represented Ireland at the 2010, 2014 and 2017 Women's Rugby World Cups. She was also a member of the Ireland teams that won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations ...
and Hannah Tyrrell
Hannah Tyrrell is an Ireland women's rugby union international. Tyrrell represented Ireland at the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. She was also a member of the Ireland team that won the 2015 Women's Six Nations Championship. Tyrrell is also an I ...
.
From rugby league
Rugby league to American football
On 3 March 2015 Jarryd Hayne became the first rugby league player (that hadn't already played in the NFL) to sign a contract with a National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
team.
Rugby league to association football
Rugby league to Australian rules football
In addition to the senior players listed below numerous schoolboy rugby league players have made a transition to success at senior Australian rules, including Wayne Carey
Wayne Francis Carey (born 27 May 1971) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the North Melbourne Football Club and Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
A dual-premiership captain at North Melbou ...
, Paul Kelly, Kieren Jack
Kieren Jack (born 28 June 1987) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was the co-captain of the Sydney Swans, alongside Jarrad McVeigh from 2013 to 2016.
Early life
...
, Andrew McLeod
Andrew Luke McLeod (born 4 August 1976) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is the games record holder for Adelaide, having played 340 games.
...
, Jared Brennan
Jared Brennan (born 28 July 1984) is a former professional Australian rules footballer, who last represented the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He also previously represented the Brisbane Lions.
Early life
...
, Matthew Whelan, and Sam Gilbert
Samuel Gilbert (born 19 August 1986) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Early life
Gilbert is a rugby league convert who didn’t start playi ...
.
Rugby league to rugby union
While the traffic used to be almost entirely from rugby union to rugby league, the tide has now turned the other way, and numerous rugby league players have gone over to union, since the game was professionalised.
From rugby union
Rugby union to American football
Rugby union and American football share the same origins, but have evolved into very different games. Both are very physical and require similar body types with high speed and strength.
Rugby union to association football
Rugby union to Australian rules football
In recent years, several schoolboy rugby union players have made a transition to Australian Rules, including Ray Smith (Queensland Under 19), Jim Stynes
James Stynes OAM (23 April 196620 March 2012) was an Irish-born footballer who converted from Gaelic football to Australian rules football. Playing for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), he went on to become o ...
, Lewis Roberts-Thomson
Lewis Roberts-Thomson (born 8 September 1983 in Sydney) is a former Australian Rules Football player, who played for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League. He has been colloquially known to fans and commentators as either "LRT" or ...
, Aaron Edwards
Aaron Edwards (born 2 March 1984) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the West Coast Eagles, North Melbourne Football Club and Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Edwards also pla ...
, Adam Campbell (New Zealand Under 15), Daniel Merrett
Daniel Merrett (born 12 December 1984) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Merrett was born in Adelaide, but moved to the Gold Coast with his family ...
, Brad Moran ( West Midlands (England) Under 16) and Tom Williams (Queensland Under 16). In 2012, Canadian Mike Pyke became the first former professional rugby player to win an AFL premiership.
Rugby union to Gaelic football
Rugby union to rugby league
Two of the closest codes, they share many similar skills. Until 1995 union was officially amateur and union players were offered money to switch codes. That trend has since reversed, as rugby union is now richer than rugby league. Conversion from one code to the other is more difficult for forwards than backs, where the skills are most similar. Several players, including Iestyn Harris
Iestyn Rhys Harris (born 25 June 1976), also known by the nickname of "Welsh Wizard", is a former dual-code international professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, and coach in rugby league in the ...
and Mat Rogers
Mathew Steve Rogers (born 1 February 1976) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He also played rugby union at the highest level, becoming a dual-code international.
The son of ...
, have converted between the two codes on more than one occasion.
See also
* List of multi-sport athletes
A multi-sport athlete is an athlete who competes or trains two or more different sports. Most of these athletes played two or more sports from a young age – especially in high school – before deciding to usually concentrate on just one sport p ...
* Comparison of American football and Canadian football
American and Canadian football are gridiron codes of football that are very similar; both have their origins in rugby football, but some key differences exist between the two codes.
History
Rugby football was introduced to North America in C ...
* Comparison of American football and rugby union
A comparison of American football and rugby union is possible because of the games' shared origins, despite their dissimilarities.
Rules
Tackle
In the event of a tackle in rugby the player may pass the ball behind him provided he is not on th ...
* Comparison of American football and rugby league
* Comparison of Canadian football and rugby union
A comparison of Canadian football and rugby union is possible because of the games' shared origins, despite their dissimilarities.
Most significant differences
The most significant difference in play is the allowance of blocking for the ball car ...
* Comparison of Australian rules football and Gaelic football
Australian rules football and Gaelic football are codes of football, from Australia and Ireland respectively, which have similar styles and features of play. Notably both are dominated by kicking from the hand and hand passing as well as rules ...
* Comparison of Gaelic football and rugby union
A comparison of Gaelic football and rugby union is possible because of certain similarities between the codes, as well as the numerous dissimilarities.
Until the mid-1990s, both codes were strictly amateur. The highest level of Gaelic Footbal ...
* Comparison of rugby union and rugby league
The team sports rugby union and rugby league have shared origins and thus many similarities.
Initially, following the 1895 split in rugby football, rugby union and rugby league differed in administration only. Soon, however, the rules of rugby ...
* List of Australian rules footballers and cricketers
This is a listing of players to have played both Australian rules football in the nation's premier leagues and first-class cricket or higher. These leagues are the Australian Football League (AFL), formerly the VFL, West Australian Football Le ...
* List of cricket and rugby union players
This is a list of sports people who have played both cricket and rugby union at a high level. First-class or List A cricket, provincial rugby and international cricket or rugby are considered to be high level for the purposes of this list. To be e ...
* List of cricket and rugby league players
This is a list of sports people who have played both cricket and rugby league at a high level.
Until recently, Scotland, Ireland and Wales all played as part of the English dominated Great Britain team.
Due to the historical relationship between ...
* International Player Pathway
The International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) is a program run by the National Football League (NFL) to increase the number of non-Americans, American and Canadians, Canadian players in the NFL. The program was formed as part of the NFL's strateg ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Players Who Have Converted From One Football Code To Another
Converted from one football code to another
Converted from one football code to another
Code
In communications and information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes shortened or secret, for communication through a communication ...
Lists of sportspeople
Players of Canadian football
Converted from one football code to another
Converted from one football code to another