Mat Rogers
Mat Rogers (born February 1 1976 in Sydney and educated at The Southport School) is a former Australian Schoolboy Rugby Union International, Rugby League player with the Cronulla Sharks Rugby League Club and the Australian Kangaroos until his switch back to rugby union in 2002. He currently plays at Fly half for the Waratahs. He also has played State of Origin for Queensland.
Playing both forms of the game as a junior, Rogers excelled as a Rugby Union player at Queensland's Southport School, a well know Rugby Union nursery. He played in the Australian Schoolboys representative team, at one point playing opposite a young Johnny Wilkinson, who would kick a vital drop goal in the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
After deciding that Rugly League was his preferred career path, Rogers joined his father's former club, the Cronulla Sharks. Forming lethal combinations with Centre partner Andrew Ettingshausen and Fullback David Peachey, Rogers was one of the most electric and entertaining ball-running Wingers in Rugby League during the mid-to-late 90's. His speed, flair and tryscoring prowess made him a crowd favourite not only with Cronulla fans, but all Rugby League fans. He was also a very talented Goal Kicker and still holds several pointscoring records with Cronulla. His 40m burst has been timed at 4.9 seconds. He is seen as a vital attacking weapon and point scoring machine, primarily due to his goal-kicking talent and ability to score tries from the tightest situations.
He expressed his desire to shift from his position on the Wing to either Centre or Fullback allowing him to be closer to the action, however a serious shoulder injury at the conclusion of the Kangaroos successful 2000 World Cup Campaign in October and November destroyed his chance and he was restricted to only a handful of games during the 2001 season in what would eventually be his final year with the Sharks and Rugby League.
Following his switch Rogers was an immediate success in Rugby. His transition has not been without controversy however. Several times Rogers has found himself the focus of media scrutiny after several comments regarding the state of Australian club Rugby in comparison to training for the Wallabies and after an alleged altercation outside a Glasglow nightclub with a fan in 2004.
His initial switch was also met with some contempt from Waratahs fans 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 years Tri Nations series.
His autobiography Off the Wing, On a Prayer was published in 2002 by E.S.M Sports Pty. Ltd. It was written shortly after his transition from rugby league to rugby union, while his father Steve Rogers was still alive and while he was still married to his ex-wife Michelle Miller. He is currently going through a separation with Michelle, the mother of his children Jack and Skyla, and he is romantically attached to Australian model Chloe Maxwell.
Starting in the 2005 Tri Nations Series, Rogers has been shifted from fullback to play at fly-half following the injury of Stephen Larkham. He continued to play in that position during the 2005 grandslam tour of British Isles and Europe and looks set to remain there for the Waratahs in the new Super 14 competition in 2006.
The evolution of Mat Rogers as a Rugby player seemingly knows no bounds, with the much-feared attacking weapon proving himself yet again during 2005, this time in the unfamiliar position of flyhalf.
A prolific pointscorer, Rogers has the uncanny and intuitive ability to create opportunities from next to nothing. A standout at fullback, centre, and on the wing for NSW and Australia over the past four seasons, Mat’s expressed his desire to wear the no.10 jersey at some point during the 2006 season.
His father was the late Cronulla Sharks legend Steve Rogers, who was the Sharks' CEO. He is high performance because of his high performance coach Tony.
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