Neil McCarthy (rugby union) was effectively ended in 2002 by a serious knee injury. McCarthy spent two years attempting to come back from the injury which included a final spell with Orrell Rugby, eventually retiring in 2004 after further complications from the original injury. He was Leicester Tigers Academy director from 2007-2015 and produced current England players George Ford, Manu Tuilagi, Dan Cole, Tom Croft, Billy Twelvetrees and the Youngs Brothers Ben and Tom. On 11 March 2015, McCarthy returned to Gloucester Rugby to become their new Head of Academy. Having restructured and established the Gloucester academy as a leading programme McCarthy moved into
Tom Cross (rugby) Tom Cross (rugby) Tom "Angry" William Cross was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented New Zealand in both rugby union and rugby league. Cross worked as a labourer and while in Petone worked at the Gear Meat Works. Cross was originally from Dunedin and played rugby union for the Kaikorai Club in 1896. Cross was considered a very large man for the times and he represented Otago from 1898 to 1900. He then joined the Linwood club in Christchurch and represented Canterbury from 1901 to 1902, gaining South Island selection in 1902. By 1903 he had moved to Wellington