Ryan Shortland (born 27 January 1986 in Masterton, New Zealand) is a former rugby union player who last played for the Newcastle Falcons in the Aviva Premiership.

A knee ligament injury playing for Brisbane Norths in the Queensland Cup ended Shortland's season soon after.

[9] After being released by the Warriors, Shortland set his sights on a career in rugby union so he could stay in New Zealand.

[12][13][14] Shortland got off to a promising start for Otago in the 2009 Air New Zealand Cup, scoring 3 tries in 10 appearances, and was included in the Highlanders wider training group for the 2010 Super 14 season.

After leaving Otago, Shortland moved to England, where he played with the Newcastle Falcons of the Aviva Premiership, having debuted in the 2011–12 season.