Rugby league Rooney made his
Penrith Panthers' debut on 21 April for Round 10 of the
2001 NRL season whilst in Year 12 at St.Dominic's College. In the
2003 NRL Grand Final Rooney played on the wing and scored two tries in the Panthers' victory over the
Sydney Roosters. As 2003 NRL premiers, the Panthers travelled to England to face
Super League VIII champions, the
Bradford Bulls in the
2004 World Club Challenge. Rooney played on the wing in the Panthers' 22–4 loss. Rooney was selected to make his debut for
New South Wales in the
2003 State of Origin series, playing in all three games. At the end of the season he played for
Australia in the
2004 Rugby League Tri-Nations and was the tournament's top try-scorer. Rooney was selected to play on the wing in the first two games of the
2005 State of Origin series. Before his departure from the Panthers and the NRL at the end of 2008, Rooney was part of
City Origin, New South Wales and
Australian rugby league squads.
Rugby union At the end of 2008, Rooney switched to
rugby union to play for
RC Toulon in the French
Top 14 competition. In the
2008–09 Top 14 season he played 16 games and scored 5 tries and also played 6 games in the
2009–10 Amlin Challenge Cup, primarily as a
fullback. In June 2010, Rooney signed a two-year deal with the
Melbourne Rebels.{{cite press release| author = ARU| date = 29 June 2010| publisher = Australian Rugby Union Rooney's parents are
English and he holds a
British passport. In March 2010, while in negotiations with English club
Worcester Warriors, he expressed ambitions to play for
England in the
2011 Rugby World Cup.{{cite web| first1 = Josh| last1 = Massoud| first2 = James| last2 = Phelps| date = 24 March 2010 ==References==