Dick Thornett
Encyclopedia
Richard Norman "Dick" Thornett (23 September 1940 – 12 October 2011) was one of five Australians to have represented their country in three sports. He was an Olympic water polo player before becoming a rugby league
and rugby union
player—a dual code international representative.
forward, in his two senior seasons in rugby union in 1961 and 1962 Thornett made eleven national representative Tests appearances for the Wallabies
. On the Wallabies 1961 tour of South Africa
Thornett was in the squad with his brother John Thornett
and they played Test matches together. Dick left the amateur code after two years to join his brother Ken Thornett at the Parramatta Eels
.
would bring to forward play shortly after Thornett. In a club game against Canterbury
in 1968 Thornett matched the then standing club record of four tries in a match.
In 1969 he appeared as a guest player for Auckland
in a match against the New Zealand Kiwis to mark the New Zealand Rugby League
's diamond jubilee.
He made national representative appearances for the Kangaroos in Tests against South Africa in 1963, on the 1963-64 Kangaroo tour
and in three matches of the 1968 World Cup
.
His international rugby league debut in the 1st Test against South Africa in Brisbane on 20 July 1963 saw Thornett become Australia's 28th dual code rugby international, following Michael Cleary and preceding Jim Lisle
. Ken Thornett also appeared in that Test match, making the brothers the first to play together in an Australian test side since Bill and Viv Farnsworth
in 1912.
Thornett's final two club seasons at Parramatta were affected by a bout of hepatitis and he saw out the final year of his career with a season at Easts
.
While playing football, Thornett also served in the New South Wales Police Force and in 2008, rugby league's centennial year in Australia, he was named as a reserve in a NSW Police team of the century.
John and Dick Thornett both played together in Wallabies sides in 1961-62; Dick and Ken Thornett played together in three test matches on the 1963-64 Kangaroo Tour.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player—a dual code international representative.
Olympian
Thornett also represented Australia at Water polo at age 20 in the 1960 Rome Olympics giving him the truly rare sporting distinction of being a triple international (see also Michael Cleary).Rugby union
A Randwick DRUFCRandwick DRUFC
Randwick District Rugby Union Football Club, also known as the Galloping Greens, is an Australian rugby union club which competes in the Sydney grade competition. The club was formed in 1882 and since then has won 31 first grade premierships and seven Australian club championships...
forward, in his two senior seasons in rugby union in 1961 and 1962 Thornett made eleven national representative Tests appearances for the Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
. On the Wallabies 1961 tour of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
Thornett was in the squad with his brother John Thornett
John Thornett
John Thornett is a former Australian rugby union player, having played 37 Tests for Australia between 1955 and 1967. He captained Australia on four of the eight occasions that he went on tour....
and they played Test matches together. Dick left the amateur code after two years to join his brother Ken Thornett at the Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
.
Rugby league
Thornett was a front trower, and joined his brother Ken at the Parramatta Eels in 1963. He played there until 1971, making 168 appearances for the club, He was a master ball player informing the style-changing ball skills that Arthur BeetsonArthur Beetson
Arthur Henry "Artie" Beetson, OAM , was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He represented Australia and Queensland from 1964 to 1981. His position was at prop. Beetson became the first Indigenous Australian to captain his country in any sport. and is frequently cited as the best...
would bring to forward play shortly after Thornett. In a club game against Canterbury
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
in 1968 Thornett matched the then standing club record of four tries in a match.
In 1969 he appeared as a guest player for Auckland
Auckland rugby league team
The Auckland rugby league team is the team which traditionally represents all of the clubs which play in the Auckland Rugby League competition. The Auckland Rugby League team has traditionally been a powerhouse of New Zealand domestic rugby league...
in a match against the New Zealand Kiwis to mark the New Zealand Rugby League
New Zealand Rugby League
The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....
's diamond jubilee.
He made national representative appearances for the Kangaroos in Tests against South Africa in 1963, on the 1963-64 Kangaroo tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
and in three matches of the 1968 World Cup
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
.
His international rugby league debut in the 1st Test against South Africa in Brisbane on 20 July 1963 saw Thornett become Australia's 28th dual code rugby international, following Michael Cleary and preceding Jim Lisle
Jim Lisle
Ronald James "Jimmy" Lisle was an Australian rugby league and rugby union player – a dual code rugby international...
. Ken Thornett also appeared in that Test match, making the brothers the first to play together in an Australian test side since Bill and Viv Farnsworth
Viv Farnsworth
Viv Farnsworth was an Australian professional rugby league player for Newtown, Wests, New South Wales and Australia, he also represented Australasia...
in 1912.
Thornett's final two club seasons at Parramatta were affected by a bout of hepatitis and he saw out the final year of his career with a season at Easts
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
.
While playing football, Thornett also served in the New South Wales Police Force and in 2008, rugby league's centennial year in Australia, he was named as a reserve in a NSW Police team of the century.
Sporting brothers
Thornett was born into a family of legendary footballing brothers. John Thornett was a Wallaby captain who played 37 Rugby Union Tests for Australia over a distinguished 13 year career from 1955. Ken Thornett was the leading Australian rugby league fullback in the early sixties. Ken earned 12 Test caps for Australia and played alongside Dick at Parramatta over a 136 game club career.John and Dick Thornett both played together in Wallabies sides in 1961-62; Dick and Ken Thornett played together in three test matches on the 1963-64 Kangaroo Tour.