Famous rugby code breakers

Jason Robinson

The Leeds-born wing wizard won 19 caps for England and Great Britain and played for the Rest of the World during a glorious eight-year career at Wigan before joining Sale after the 2000 Super League Grand Final. He had already sampled rugby union in a guest spell with Bath in 1996 and made a seamless transition, winning the first of 51 England caps just four months later. He went on to become a member of England's victorious World Cup team of 2003 and played five times for the British and Irish Lions.

Andy Farrell

The Wigan and Great Britain captain was at the height of his rugby league career when he announced his decision to make the switch in March 2005, two months short of his 30th birthday. In 1993, he had become the youngest player to win a Challenge Cup final when, at 17 years and 11 months, he went on as a substitute against Widnes. Three years later he was appointed Wigan's captain and also in 1996 became the youngest-ever Great Britain skipper at 21 years and four months. The two-time Man of Steel's introduction into the 15-man code with Saracens was delayed by injuries and a car crash and he went on to make just eight England appearances before turning to coaching in 2010.

Chris Ashton

Ashton was a raw but promising winger or full-back when he was snapped up by Northampton just short of his 20th birthday. He represented England at academy and senior second-tier level and his 30 tries in 51 appearances for Wigan demonstrated his potential. Granted an early release from his contract with the Warriors, Ashton broke the National Division One try scoring record in 2008 with 39 tries from 25 appearances and won his first England cap in the 2010 Six Nations. The following year he made history by scoring four tries in a match against Italy and went on to take his number of caps to 39 before losing his England spot. In 2012 he moved to Saracens.

Kyle Eastmond

The diminutive Eastmond drew comparisons with Robinson for his elusive and pacy running and, after a promising career in league with St Helens and England which included the 2009 Four Nations Series, he trod the same path into the 15-man code in 2011. It took him some time to make the adjustment but Eastmond was picked for England Saxons in 2013 and went on to form a crucial partnership with George Ford which helped lift Bath to the top of the Aviva Premiership. He was selected in the England squad to tour America in the summer of 2013 and won his first senior cap as a replacement against Argentina.

Sam Burgess

The former Bradford forward burst onto the international scene as an 18-year-old with a famous "hit" on Fuifui Moimoi in Great Britain's Test Series against New Zealand in 2007. Two years later, he was persuaded by Hollywood actor Russell Crowe to join South Sydney and he went on to become hugely influential for the Rabbitohs, defying a broken cheekbone to produce a match-winning performance as they ended a 43-year wait to lift the NRL Grand Final title in 2014. He joined Bath after that match on a three-year contract and made his England Saxons debut against Ireland in January.

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