Rocky Elsom (born 14 February, 1983 in Melbourne) is an Australianrugby union footballer. He currently plays for the New South Wales Waratahs in the international Super 14 competition. Elsom is rare talent being able to play in all three back row positions as well as lock being a very rare utility forward. Elsom was educated at St. Joseph's Nudgee College in Brisbane where he captained their rugby union side; he went on to make the Australian Schoolboy side. He then spent two seasons with the Canterbury Bulldogs rugby league club in Sydney and was a front-rower in their 2001 premiership-winning Jersey Flegg side. He converted to rugby union, he made his Super 14 debut against the Auckland Blues for the Waratahs in 2003. He was also the vice-captain of the under-21 Australian national side at the 2003 under-23 World Cup. He continued to progress in the Australian rugby scene, featuring in 12 of the Waratahs 13 games during the 2005 season. A good Waratahs season which saw the side make it to the final, only to be defeated by the Crusaders, saw Elsom selected as number six for the opening Wallaby test of 2005 against Samoa. Making his debut against Samoa, Elsom scored the opening try of the match and has since held his place as Australia's first choice numbr six despite strong competition from the injury prone Hugh McMeniman. Also in 2005, Elsom re-signed with the Tah's, seeing that he will stay in New South Wales until 2008.
