Born: April 19, 1999 – Brisbane
Test record: 1 Test (2022) – 1 try (4 points)
Tours: 2022 World Cup

Dynamic utility-back Sebastian Kris became a Kiwis bolter for the Rugby League World Cup at the end of 2022 courtesy of his stellar form in the Canberra Raiders backline.

Kris was born in Brisbane and pulled on the boots as a youngster for Wests Panthers, before moving to Canberra and coming through the juniors at Tuggeranong Valley Dragons.

A proud Torres Strait Islander from the islands of Mabuiag and Saibai, Kris also has South African and New Zealand heritage, and came off the bench to make his NRL debut for the Raiders soon after his 20th birthday in 2019. He made four appearances in the top flight and scored three tries before taking a mental health break from the game in 2020.

Kris returned to cement a centre spot at Canberra in 2021 – crossing for eight tries in 20 games – and went from strength to strength as the Raiders made a late finals surge in 2021, dotting down 14 times in 20 appearances.

The 23-year-old was subsequently chosen in New Zealand’s World Cup squad and scored a first-half hat-trick in his first game in the black-and-white jersey, a 74-0 warm-up victory over Leeds Rhinos at Headingley. Kris made his Test debut on the wing against Jamaica – his only appearance during the tournament – and marked the occasion with a try.

Kris was the surprise solution to the Raiders’ fullback spot in 2023 before returning to centre for the club in 2024 – playing 20-plus games for the fourth straight season – but Kiwis selection eluded him at the end of each campaign.