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.
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.
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 squad contained eight former All Blacks in George Smith, Thomas Cross, William Mackrell, Herbert Turtill, Duncan McGregor, Eric Watkins, Massa Johnston and Edgar Wrigley.
One week after his final Test appearance as a Wallaby, Messenger, who was born in Australia, toured Great Britain at the invitation of the New Zealand All Golds in 1907.
Later he switched to rugby league and captained Western Samoa in two pool games at the 1995 World Cup.
His senior club rugby league career was played in England but between 1995 and 2001 he regularly returned to New Zealand to make international appearances for the Kiwis.
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.
His league club career was played with the Canberra Raiders in Australia and the Bradford Bulls in England.
He made his international rugby union debut for England v Wales in February 2008 and played in five tests that season.
Craig Gower After 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.
Under IRB rules, he was already eligible to represent England on residency grounds, having lived there for well over the three years required to qualify.
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.
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.
[37] Michael Cleary represented Australia in track & field at the Commonwealth Games making him an international at the senior level in three sports.