Gerry de la Cruz facts for kids

Gerry De La Cruz is an Australian former professional rugby league player. He played in the 1980s. Gerry played for the Canberra Raiders team. He was a very important "foundation player" for the club. This means he was part of the very first team when the club started. He even played in their first game ever!

Early Life and Background

Gerry De La Cruz was born in a town called Innisfail in Queensland. His mother had Aboriginal and Sri Lankan family roots. His father had Torres Strait Islander and Filipino family roots.

Gerry spent his younger years in Darwin, Northern Territory. He made history by becoming the first person with Filipino heritage to play top-level rugby league in Australia.

Playing for the Raiders

Gerry De La Cruz played in the Canberra Raiders' very first game. This exciting match was in Round 1 of the 1982 season. They played against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Redfern Oval.

Even though the Raiders lost that game 37–7, Gerry scored a special moment. He scored the club's first ever try! A newspaper in Sydney called it a "bewildering try."

Sadly, Gerry's career was cut short by injuries. He only played four games for the Canberra team. In that first season, he broke his arm during a tackle. This happened in a game against Parramatta.

Years later, Don Furner, who was Gerry's coach, said something very kind about him. He said that if Gerry hadn't broken his arm, he "could have been anything in rugby league."

The Canberra Raiders finished last in their first season, winning only four games. As of 2020, that was the last time the Raiders finished in last place.