Neville Thornton (rugby union)

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Neville Thornton
Birth nameNeville Henry Thornton
Date of birth(1918-12-12)12 December 1918
Place of birthOtahuhu, New Zealand
Date of death12 September 1998(1998-09-12) (aged 79)
Place of deathAuckland, New Zealand
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight93 kg (205 lb)
SchoolOtahuhu College
Occupation(s)School principal
Rugby union career
Position(s) Number 8
All Black No. 476
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1940
1947–48		 King Country
Auckland		 3
11		 ()
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1947–49 New Zealand 3 (3)

Neville Henry Thornton (12 December 1918 – 12 September 1998) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A number eight, Thornton represented King Country and Auckland at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1947 and 1949. He played 19 matches for the All Blacks including three internationals.[1]

During World War II, Thornton served with the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF), and in February 1945 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the New Zealand Infantry.[2] Following the end of the war, he toured Britain and France with the NZEF rugby team, known as the "Kiwis", playing in 18 matches and scoring nine tries.[1] After returning to New Zealand, Thornton studied at Auckland University College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1951 and a Master of Arts in 1959.[3] A schoolteacher, Thornton was principal of Rotorua Boys' High School from 1960, and then Papakura High School until 1977.[1]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Knight, Lindsay. "Neville Thornton". New Zealand Rugby Union. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  2. ^ "New Zealand, World War II appointments, promotions, transfers and resignations, 1939–1945". Ancestry.com Operations. 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  3. ^ "NZ university graduates 1870–1961: T". Retrieved 12 September 2015.


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