Bradley Carnegie Thorn (born 3 February 1975 in Mosgiel, New Zealand) is a professional rugby union player. He has in the past represented Australia at rugby league, and currently represents New Zealand in union. A lock, Thorn is a former All Black, plays for the Fukuoka Sanix Blues in the Top League. Thorn is Christian.[1]
He previously played rugby league for ten years for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League competition and has also represented Queensland in the State of Origin series. His preferred position in rugby league is second row. In 2000 Thorn was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league.
[edit] Biography
Relocating from New Zealand to Australia at age eight, Thorn's junior football was rugby league played in Queensland with Aspley and Wests Arana. He was signed as a junior with the Brisbane Broncos in 1994 and that same year represented Australia in the Junior Kangaroos side.
[edit] Professional rugby career
[edit] League (1994-2000)
Thorn made his first grade debut in the NSWRL for the Brisbane Broncos, who were then defending premiers, in the 1994 Winfield Cup season's 12th round against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. At season's end he was awarded the club's rookie of the year award.
At the outbreak of the Super League war in 1995, Thorn along with the rest of his Broncos team-mates and players of several other clubs, was aligned with Super League and so ineligible for selection in the Australian Rugby League's 1995 State of Origin series or post-season 1995 Rugby League World Cup. The following year, when all players were again allowed to be selected for representative football, Thorn's debut for the Queensland Maroons came in Game I of the 1996 State of Origin series. He held his place at second-row forward for all three games of that series.
In the 1997 Super League season Thorn played in all three games for Queensland in that year's Super League Tri-series. He also made his international representative debut for Australia against New Zealand. Thorn also won his first premiership with the Broncos when they defeated the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the 1997 Super League grand final in Brisbane. In the 1997 post season, Thorn was selected to travel to England and play for Australia at prop forward in all three matches of the Super League Test series against Great Britain, scoring a try in the third and deciding Test victory. It was on this tour that his front-row partner Jason Stevens helped convince Thorn to convert to Christianity.[2]
Following the sport's re-unification under the National Rugby League, Thorn was selected in Game II of the 1998 State of Origin series. He also continued to represent Australia in all three Tests of the 1998 series against New Zealand. Thorn also played at second-row forward in the Broncos' victory at the 1998 NRL grand final.
Thorn was selected to play for Queensland again in Game III of 1999 State of Origin series and all three matches of the 2000 State of Origin series. After he and the Broncos won the 2000 NRL Premiership's grand final, he switched codes to rugby union and returned to New Zealand.
[edit] Union (2001-2004)
In 2001 Thorn moved to New Zealand and switched to rugby union, playing for the Crusaders in the Super 12 and Canterbury in the National Provincial Championship. He was part of the Canterbury squad that won the NPC in 2001. He had initially been picked for the end of year All Black tour in 2001 but he pulled out due to his own uncertainty of commitment to the 15 man game.[3] In 2003, Thorn went on to play for New Zealand's All Blacks, appearing in 12 tests, including the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup. He thus became a dual rugby-code international, the second man in history (after Bill Hardcastle) to have represented Australia in league and New Zealand in union. In 2004 Thorn won the NPC with Canterbury. He also won the Tri-Nations with NZ in 2003.
[edit] League (2005-2007)
In 2005 Thorn moved back to Brisbane and the National Rugby League, again playing with the Broncos for another three years. He enjoyed further representative selection for Queensland in all three games of the 2005 State of Origin series.
Thorn claimed another premiership ring when he played at second-row in the Broncos' 2006 NRL Grand Final victory over the Melbourne Storm. He then travelled with the Broncos to England for the 2007 World Club Challenge which was lost to St Helens.
The following season at the Broncos' 20-year anniversary celebration, the club announced a list of the 20 best players to play for them to date which included Thorn.[4] At the close of the 2007 NRL season Thorn switched codes once again, moving back to New Zealand to continue his rugby union career.
[edit] Union (2008-present)
Thorn signed with Tasman Rugby Union in October, 2007, making him again eligible for the Crusaders. He went on to win the Super 14 competition with the Crusaders in 2008 against the Waratahs in superb style with a 20–12 win. He thus became the second person to win both a Super Rugby title and an NRL title. This feat was first achieved by Peter Ryan for the Brisbane Broncos in 1998 and the Brumbies in 2001. After his huge contribution to the Crusaders, Thorn was selected for the All Blacks to play the first test of 2008 against Ireland in Wellington. He won a second Tri-Nations with NZ in 2008 and a third in 2010. On 23 October 2011, Thorn was part of the All Blacks team which won the Rugby World Cup 2011, beating France 8-7 in the Final.
He has signed a deal to join Japanese club Fukuoka Sanix Blues after the World Cup.
In February 2012, during the Japanese off season, Thorn signed a 3 month short term contract with European champions Leinster.[5]
[edit] Sources
- Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
- Big League's 25 Years of Origin Collectors' Edition, News Magazines, Surry Hills, Sydney
- Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| Persondata |
| Name |
Thorn, Brad |
| Alternative names |
|
| Short description |
New Zealand-Australian rugby league player |
| Date of birth |
3 February 1975 |
| Place of birth |
Mosgiel |
| Date of death |
|
| Place of death |
|
