Bradley Carnegie Thorn (born 3 February 1975) is a

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

and former

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

and rugby union footballer. Born in New Zealand, he represented

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

in rugby league and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

in rugby union in a 22-season career as a player. He is currently the head coach of the

Queensland Reds The Queensland Reds is the rugby union team for the Australian state of Queensland that competes in the Southern Hemisphere's Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996, they were a representative team selected from the rugby union club competition ...

and their second longest coach in history. Thorn played rugby league for the

Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...

in the

National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...

competition for a total of ten seasons in two spells, and represented

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

in the

State of Origin series The State of Origin series is an annual best-of-three rugby league series between two Australian state representative sides, the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons. Referred to as “Australian sport's greatest rivalry”, the ...

. He played eight times for Australia - five for the Kangaroos, and three games for the Super League Australia team. His preferred position in rugby league was in the , though he was equally effective as a . In 2000 Thorn was awarded the

Australian Sports Medal The Australian Sports Medal is an award given to recognise achievements in Australian sport to commemorate Australian participation in major sporting events. Original recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, offi ...

for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league. He first moved to rugby union in 2001 and, over two spells in the sport, became one of the most successful rugby union players. A

lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

, he was the first player to win a World Cup, a Super Rugby title and the Heineken Cup, despite only moving to the sport in his mid-twenties. He won 59 international caps for New Zealand, and was part of the team that won the 2011 World Cup. After retiring in 2015, he became a coach, and was appointed head coach of the Reds in October 2017.

Early life

Having relocated with his family 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

in 1994 and that same year represented Australia in the Junior Kangaroos side.

Playing career

Rugby league (1994–2000)

Thorn made his first grade debut in the

NSWRL The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was ...

for the

, who were then defending premiers, in the 1994 Winfield Cup season's 12th round against the

Canterbury-Bankstown 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 NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilita ...

. At season's end he was awarded the club's rookie of the year award. At the outbreak of the

Super League war The Super League war was a commercial competition between the Australian Rugby League (ARL) and the Australian Super League to establish pre-eminence in professional rugby league competition in Australia and New Zealand in the mid-1990s. Super ...

in 1995 Thorn, along with the rest of his Broncos teammates and players of several other clubs, was aligned with

Super League The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of wh ...

and so ineligible for selection in the

Australian Rugby League The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARL), formerly the Australian Rugby Football League known as the Australian Rugby League is an Australian rugby league football competition operator. It was founded in 1986 as the Australian Rugby Footbal ...

's 1995 State of Origin series or post-season

1995 Rugby League World Cup The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact ...

. The following year, when all players were again allowed to be selected for representative football, Thorn's debut for the

Queensland Maroons The Queensland rugby league team represents the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football. Nicknamed the "Maroons" after the colour of their jersey, they play three times a year against arch-rivals New South Wales in the State of O ...

came in Game I of the

1996 State of Origin series The 1996 State of Origin series saw the 15th time that the annual three-game series between the Queensland and New South Wales representative rugby league football teams was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. This series s ...

. 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 The Super League Tri-series was an international rugby league football tournament contested in 1997 between Queensland, New South Wales, and New Zealand representative rugby league teams. It was run by the breakaway Super League organisation as an a ...

. He also made his international debut for Australia against

. Thorn won his first premiership with the Broncos when they defeated the

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...

in the 1997 Super League grand final in Brisbane. In the 1997 post season, Thorn was selected to travel to England and play for

at prop forward in all three matches of the

Super League Test series Super may refer to: Computing * SUPER (computer program), or Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer, a video converter / player * Super (computer science), a keyword in object-oriented programming languages * Super key (keyboard butt ...

against

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

, scoring a try in the third and deciding test victory. It was on this tour that his front-row partner

Jason Stevens Jason Anthony Stevens (born 8 January 1973) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He is also a writer, screenwriter and actor. An Australia national rugby league team, Australia nationa ...

helped convince Thorn to convert to Christianity. Following the sport's re-unification under the

, Thorn was selected in Game II of the 1998 State of Origin series. He also continued to represent

in all three Tests of the 1998 international series against

. Thorn also played at second-row forward in the Broncos' victory at the 1998 NRL Grand Final, winning his second premiership ring. 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. He then played at second-row forward for the Broncos in their 2000 NRL Grand Final win over the

Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...

, claiming a third premiership.

Rugby union (2001–04)

In 2001 Thorn moved to New Zealand and switched to rugby union, playing for the

Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...

in the

Super 12 Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...

and

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

in the

National Provincial Championship The National Provincial Championship may refer to: * National Provincial Championship (1976–2005), original competition before reform into 14 sides * National Provincial Championship (2006–present) The National Provincial Championship, o ...

. 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. In 2003, Thorn went on to play for New Zealand's

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...

, 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 William Robert Hardcastle (30 August 1874 – 11 July 1944) born in Wellington, New Zealand was a pioneer New Zealand and Australian rugby union player and an Australian rugby league footballer. He represented both countries in union and Austra ...

) 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.

Rugby league (2005–07)

In 2005 Thorn moved back to Brisbane and the

, 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, scoring a

try Try or TRY may refer to: Music Albums * ''Try!'', an album by the John Mayer Trio * ''Try'' (Bebo Norman album) (2014) Songs * "Try" (Blue Rodeo song) (1987) * "Try" (Colbie Caillat song) (2014) * "Try" (Nelly Furtado song) (2004) * " Try (Ju ...

in Game II. Thorn claimed another premiership ring when he played at second-row in the Broncos' 2006 NRL Grand Final victory over the

Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...

. As 2006 NRL Premiers, the Broncos travelled to England to face 2006

champions, St Helens in the

2007 World Club Challenge The 2007 Carnegie World Club Challenge was played between Super League XI champions, St. Helens and 2006 National Rugby League premiers, the Brisbane Broncos. It was a replay of the 2001 World Club Challenge, and both clubs' fifth WCC appearanc ...

. Thorn played at second-row forward in the Broncos' 14–18 loss. During the

2007 NRL season The 2007 NRL season was the one hundredth season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the tenth run by the National Rugby League. Sixteen teams contested the NRL's 2007 Telstra Premiership, and with the inclusio ...

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. At the close of the

Thorn switched codes once again, moving back to New Zealand to continue his rugby union career.

Rugby union (2008–15)

Thorn signed with

Tasman Rugby Union The Tasman Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere, a bay at the north end of the South Island in New Zealand. Headquartered in Nelson, TRU is New Zealand's newest provincial union, founded in 2006 with ...

in October, 2007, making him again eligible for the

. He won 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, and since Thorn, only by former Crusaders teammate

Sonny Bill Williams Sonny Bill Williams (born 3 August 1985) is a New Zealand heavyweight boxer, and a former professional rugby league and rugby union player and as of recently is working for Stan Sports. He is only the List of dual-code rugby internationals#New ...

and Queensland Reds/Melbourne Storm player

Will Chambers William Chambers (born 26 May 1988) is an Australian professional rugby union footballer who previously played for the LA Giltinis in Major League Rugby (MLR) in the United States. After winning two titles with the Melbourne Storm, he retired ...

in 2012. After his 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 New Zealand in 2008 and a third in 2010. Brad Thorn in 2011 (cropped)

During the 2011 Super Rugby season, Thorn signed a deal to join Japanese club

Fukuoka Sanix Blues , formerly ''Fukuoka Sanix Blues'' and ''Fukuoka Sanix Bombs'', was a Japanese rugby union team based in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Founded in April 1994 (Heisei 6), the team rose rapidly through the Kyūshū leagues and was in the Top ...

in the Japanese

Top League Japan Rugby League One (formerly the Top League) is a rugby union competition in Japan. It is the highest level of professional rugby competition in the country. The Japan Rugby Football Union created the competition in 2003, by absorbing the ...

after the Rugby World Cup. On 23 October 2011, Thorn was part of the

team which won the

Rugby World Cup 2011 The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board (IRB) selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Af ...

, beating

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

8–7 in the Final. In March 2012, during the Japanese off season, Thorn signed a 3-month short-term contract with European champions

Leinster Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...

. Leinster went on to win the 2012 Heineken Cup and Thorn started at lock in the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...

. Achieving this title meant Thorn was the first player to win a World Cup, a Super Rugby title and the Heineken Cup. He has since been joined in this feat by

Bakkies Botha John Philip "Bakkies" Botha, (born 22 September 1979) is a South African former professional rugby union player who played as a lock for the Springboks until 2014. He was a member of the national team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup in Franc ...

Danie Rossouw Daniel Jacobus Rossouw (born 5 June 1978) is a South African former professional rugby union footballer who played as a second row forward or back row forward. He played for the Bulls in the Super Rugby competition. Rossouw made his provincia ...

and

Bryan Habana Bryan Gary Habana OIS (born 12 June 1983) is a South African former professional rugby union player who initially played as an outside centre but later on, he shifted to the wing. He most recently played for Toulon in the French Top 14 competit ...

In October 2012, it was reported that Thorn has agreed in principle to join the Highlanders Super rugby franchise for the 2013 season. Thorn would be joining the Dunedin-based franchise with incoming World Cup final teammates

Ma'a Nonu Ma'a Allan Nonu (; born 21 May 1982) is a professional rugby union player from New Zealand who currently plays for the San Diego Legion in Major League Rugby (MLR). He plays in the inside centre, but can also cover outside centre and wing. H ...

and Tony Woodcock both of whom were joining from the Blues in Auckland. On 4 May 2013 against the Sharks in Dunedin Thorn played his 100th Super rugby game. In 2014 a bicep injury which required surgery ended his season and called into question whether Thorn would be able to reach his stated goal of playing rugby union professionally until age 40. However, in August 2014, Thorn decided to extend his career once again, signing a deal with English club

Leicester Tigers Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its hom ...

. On 8 April 2015, Thorn announced that he would retire at the end of the 2014–15 season. In 2016, Thorn came out of retirement, aged 41, and played for Queensland Country in Australia's National Rugby Championship.

Playing longevity

Thorn's extended playing career - 22 seasons as a professional - has been attributed to his professional approach, including focuses on stretching, listening to his body, and doing only light weights when he felt that was right for him. Thorn is known for his strength and his dedication to weight training throughout his career.

Coaching career

On 12 May 2015, Thorn was announced as the

Elite Development Squad forwards coach for the next three seasons, starting in November 2015. He surprised observers at his first media appearance as a member of the Reds coaching staff, stating he would happily play for the Reds the next season if needed, "There's always an urge – I actually said at the time I didn't retire, I'm just playing less now", Thorn also said "If things were on dire straits I'm happy to help out,". Thorn was appointed as an assistant coach of Queensland Country for the 2016

National Rugby Championship The National Rugby Championship, known as NRC, was an Australian rugby union competition. It was contested by eight teams, seven from Australia and one from Fiji. The tournament ran from 2014 until 2019 before being disbanded in 2020 following t ...

and was made head coach of the team for the 2017 season. In October 2017 he was appointed head coach of the Reds, following the firing of Nick Stiles. He coached the Reds to a Super Rugby AU Title in 2021. The

personnel records show that Thorn is now the second longest Queensland Reds coach in history.

Honours

Rugby league

Brisbane Broncos * Super League title 1997 * 1997 World Club Championship *

NRL The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...

titles in 1998, 2000, and 2006 State of Origin * 14 appearances for

* State of Origin titles with Queensland, 1998 and 1999 Kangaroos * Eight Tests Matches for

Rugby union

Canterbury * NPC titles 2001 and 2004 *

Ranfurly Shield The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system. The holding union must defend the shield in challeng ...

holder Crusaders * 2008

Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...

title * Combined 100 Super Rugby appearances with the

and Highlanders New Zealand *

Bledisloe Cup The Bledisloe Cup is an annual rugby union competition originally staged between the national teams of Australia's Wallabies and New Zealand's All Blacks that has been contested since the 1930s. The frequency that the competition is held has va ...

2003, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 * Tri-Nations titles 2003, 2008 and 2010 (Undefeated in 2003 and 2010) *

Grand Slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...

2008 and 2010 *

2011 Rugby World Cup The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board (IRB) selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Af ...

champion * 59 Test Matches for the All Blacks with a winning ratio of 86.44% Leinster * 2012

Heineken Cup The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...

title

Awards

* Brisbane Broncos, 1994 Rookie of the Year Brisbane Broncos Honours * Brisbane Broncos award for Best Forward, 1997, 2000 and 2006 * Brisbane Broncos award for Most Consistent, 2005 * Brisbane Broncos award for Defence Play of the Year, 2007 * Identified as one of the Broncos' 20 best players to play for the club * Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league * Nominee for the 2010 New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year (the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Trophy)

References

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

External links

Queensland Country profile
*
Brad Thorn at rugbymuseum.co.nzBrad Thorn at rugbyfiles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorn, Brad 1975 births Australia national rugby league team players Australian Christians Australian rugby league players Barbarian F.C. players Brisbane Broncos players Canterbury rugby union players Crusaders (rugby union) players Dual-code rugby internationals Highlanders (rugby union) players Leicester Tigers players Leinster Rugby players Living people New Zealand emigrants to Australia New Zealand international rugby union players New Zealand rugby union players New Zealand rugby union coaches People from Mosgiel Queensland Rugby League State of Origin players Rugby league props Rugby league second-rows Rugby union locks Tasman rugby union players