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Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Brad Thorn New Zealand is a professional rugby

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 New Zealand at union. A lock, Thorn is a current All Black, plays for the Crusaders in Super Rugby competition and for Tasman in the Air New Zealand Cup. 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. 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.
Contents
* 1 Rugby league career
* 2 Switch to rugby union
* 3 Return to rugby league
* 4 Return to rugby union
* 5 Sources
* 6 References
* 7 External links
Rugby league career
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. He made his first grade debut in the NSWRL in round 12 of the 1994 Winfield Cup season against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Thorn was awarded the club's rookie of the year award.
Thorn's State of Origin representative debut for Queensland was in game I of the 1996 series and he held his place in all three games of that year. Along with the rest of his Broncos team-mates he was aligned with Super League in 1997 and played all three games of that year's Super League Tri-series. Following re-unification he appeared in game II of the 1998 series , game III of 1999 and all three matches of 2000.
He made his national representative debut in the Super League season of 1997 and following re-unification he represented for Australia in all three Tests of the 1998 series against New Zealand.
He enjoyed premierships with the Broncos in the 1997 Super League season, in the 1998 NRL season and after helping the Broncos win the 2000 Grand Final premiership he switched codes to rugby union and returned to New Zealand.