Sam Cross

Welsh rugby union player

Rugby player

Sam Cross

Date of birth|  (1992-08-26) 26 August 1992 (age 32)

|

Place of birth| Abergavenny, Wales
Height| 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight| 103 kg (227 lb; 16 st 3 lb)
Rugby union career
| Position(s)|  Flanker
Number 8

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Senior career
Years|  Team|  Apps|  (Points)
2012–2013|  Ebbw Vale|  |  ()
2013–2014|  Cardiff Metropolitan University|  |  ()
2014–2016|  Newport|  |  ()
2017–2023|  Ospreys|  72|  (25)
2023–2024|  Newcastle Falcons|  19|  (0)
2024–|  Tarbes|  |  ()
International career
Years|  Team|  Apps|  (Points)
2017|  Wales|  2|  (0)
2023|  Barbarians|  |

Correct as of 12 September 2024

National sevens team
Years|  Team|  |  Comps
|  Wales|  |

Medal record

Men's rugby sevens
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
| 2016 Rio de Janeiro | Team competition

Sam Cross (born 26 August 1992) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for Tarbes in the Nationale competition. He previously played for Wales national team and the Wales Sevens team.

## Personal life

[edit]

Cross was born in Abergavenny in Wales in 1992.[1] He grew up in Brynmawr and after leaving secondary school he attended Cardiff Metropolitan University where he took up a Sport & Exercise Science scholarship.[2]

## Rugby career

[edit]

Cross first played rugby as a child for the Youth section of Brynmawr RFC. He then joined Ebbw Vale before switching to the Cardiff Met team.[2] An all-round sportsman, Cross also played football at county level for Gwent and was capped for Wales in rugby league at the under-18 level.[3]

Cross was selected for both the Welsh Students team and the GB Students, the latter at under 15 and under 18, and was part of the team that won the World Students Championships in Brive.[2] He also played in the 2013 Students Olympics.[2] Despite growing up playing the 15-a-side variant of rugby union, it was in rugby sevens that he made his mark. He has made over a hundred appearances as part of the Wales Sevens mainly in the World Rugby Sevens Series.

In 2016 Cross was selected to represent Great Britain at the Summer Olympics in Rio as part of the nation's rugby sevens team.[4]

Cross was selected for Wales national team in 2017 debut from the bench against Australia. He was later selected for his first international start a few months later against Georgia and was selected for the 2018 Six Nations Championship.

Cross represented the Ospreys 71 times between 2017-2023. He played for the Barbarians in a special match against Swansea as part of their 150th anniversary of the club.[5] After six seasons for Ospreys, it was announced that Cross would join English side Newcastle Falcons in the Premiership Rugby competition for the 2023-24 season.[6]

On 18 May 2024, Cross travels to France to sign for Tarbes in the third division Nationale for the 2024-25 season.[7]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Squad Profiles: Wales Sevens – Sam Cross". wru.co.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
2. ^ a b c d Woolford, Anthony (19 July 2016). "Who is Sam Cross? Everything you need to know about the Welshman going from Brynmawr to Brazil". walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
3. ^ "Rio 2016: Wales' biggest overseas Olympic contingent ready for opening ceremony". BBC Sport. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
4. ^ "Great Britain name rugby Sevens squads for Olympics in Rio". skysports.com. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
5. ^ "Barbarians and Swansea deliver wonderful night as Alun Wyn Jones switches sides". Wales Online. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
6. ^ "Sam Cross joins Newcastle Falcons". Ospreys Rugby. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
7. ^ "Rugby à XV – Nationale : Sam Cross, le 3e ligne international Gallois arrive à Tarbes" [Rugby Union – National: Sam Cross, the Welsh international 3rd row arrives in Tarbes]. La Depeche.fr. 18 May 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Sam Cross at the World Rugby Men's Sevens Series (archived)
* Sam Cross at ItsRugby.co.uk
* Sam Cross at Olympedia
* Sam Cross at Olympics.com
* Sam Cross at Team GB
* Sam Cross at Team Wales

* v
* t
* e

Great Britain squad Men's rugby sevens – 2016 Summer Olympics – Silver medal

Backs|

* Mark Bennett
* Dan Bibby
* Ollie Lindsay-Hague
* Ruaridh McConnochie
* Tom Mitchell
* Dan Norton
* Marcus Watson

Forwards|

* Phil Burgess
* Sam Cross
* James Davies
* Mark Robertson
* James Rodwell

Coach|

* Simon Amor

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