Mat Rogers

Collectively at that point they became the 41st and 42nd Australian dual code internationals.

His transition had not been without controversy.

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 the late Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks legend and chief executive officer Steve Rogers, Mat played for the Sharks as well.

His father, Steve, retired from professional rugby league in 1986 and the family settled on the Gold Coast, Queensland when Mat was 9 years of age.

He played his junior rugby league for the Nerang Roosters and attended The Southport School (TSS) during his high schooling years, playing both forms of the game.

Rogers excelled in union at TSS, a well known rugby union nursery.

He played in the Australian Schoolboys representative team in 1993, at one point playing opposite a young Jonny Wilkinson, and future All Blacks player Jonah Lomu.

After deciding that rugby league was his preferred career path, Rogers joined his father's former club, the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.

Rogers formed powerful combinations with partner Andrew Ettingshausen and later fullback David Peachey.

He was an entertaining ball-running winger during the mid-to-late 90s.

He held several point-scoring records with Cronulla being a talented goal kicker and having an ability to score tries from the tightest situations.

He played in two State of Origin series for Queensland (1999 and 2000), and 7 Tests for the Australian national side (1998 to 2000) before his switch to union in 2001.

Rogers played at fly half in his final season for the Waratahs and started in a number of games for the Wallabies in various positions in the backline.

Rogers was chosen for the Australian team to compete in the end of season 1999 Tri Nations tournament.

In the final against New Zealand he played on the wing, scoring two tries and kicking three goals in the Kangaroos' 22-20 victory.

Rogers expressed his desire to shift from his position on the wing to either Centre or Fullback.

However, a serious injury to his shoulder rotator cuff at the conclusion of the Kangaroos’ successful 2000 World Cup Campaign destroyed his chance.

Despite this he was the tournament's top point-scorer.

After a complete shoulder reconstruction he was restricted to a handful of games during the 2001 season, his final year with the Sharks.

Following his switch Rogers was an immediate success in rugby union.

He made his Wallaby debut with Wendell Sailor in a Test match against France in June 2002.

An autobiography Off the Wing, On a Prayer was published in 2002 and written while his father Steve Rogers was still alive and when he was married to Michelle Miller, the mother of his children – Jack and Skyla.

Several times Rogers found himself the focus of media scrutiny after making comments regarding the state of Australian club rugby in comparison to training for the Wallabies and after an alleged altercation outside an Edinburgh nightclub with a fan in 2004.

His initial switch was less than smooth after coach Bob Dwyer revealed that Waratahs and Wallaby stalwart Matthew Burke would be moved from his preferred position of fullback to outside centre in order to accommodate Rogers.

His 2004 Super 12 season started brilliantly but a serious ankle injury suffered in South Africa ruled him out of that year's Tri Nations series.

Starting in the 2005 Tri Nations Series, Rogers was shifted from fullback to play at fly-half following the injury of Stephen Larkham.

He continued to play in that position during the 2005 spring tour of Europe and remained there for the Waratahs for most of the new Super 14 competition in 2006.

Coming on late in the second half in the second test against South Africa in the 2006 Tri Nations Series, Rogers scored a late try which allowed Stirling Mortlock to kick the winning conversion from the left sideline, for a 20–18 win.

It was reported on 28 August 2006 that Rogers had sustained a knee injury requiring arthroscopic surgery and was ruled out of the last test against The Springboks but was fit for the end of year tour.

"I've had (the injury) for a couple of weeks and I was hoping it would have pulled up a bit better than it has," Rogers said.

"I'm disappointed to miss out on the Springboks match because I feel that we've got a great chance of winning a Test on their soil, which hasn't been done for a long time."

The Daily Telegraph in 2006 sparked the question of how many games Rogers has actually not participated in due to injuries and quoted the following figures:

He returned to rugby league in 2007 with the newly formed Gold Coast Titans club and retired in 2010.

With the Titans beset by injuries and poor form, Rogers announced his comeback to help out the club on-field in 2011, but a serious injury forced him to announce his retirement again just minutes into his first game back.

Rogers is also well known for another career path on the Network Ten revival of Australian Survivor, competing in both the third and fifth seasons.

Despite not winning either season, he is a massive fan favourite amongst the Survivor fanbase, being dubbed "The Godfather" for his strategic gameplay.

Rogers was born in Caringbah, New South Wales, Australia.

He began playing junior rugby league for the Engadine Dragons.