Vale Dick Thornett

[lily]

Australian Rugby Union is today mourning the loss of tri-international Dick Thornett, who passed away on Wednesday morning.

One of three brothers, Dick first sprung onto the international sporting scene in 1960 with the Australian Olympic water polo team, before switching to Rugby in 1961 where his rapid rise through club, state and into the national team was as fast as they come.

After impressing with Randwick he was given a start with NSW and after a strong showing against Fiji joined his brother John in the Test pack for the three Test series against the Pacific Island nation.

His debut against Fiji in 1961 was the start of his career with the Wallabies, which lasted until the end of the 1963 season when he decided to switch codes and excel at rugby league.

In a career that included 11 consecutive Tests and 11 tour matches, Thornett was never dropped from a Wallabies side and is considered to be one of the most extravagantly gifted sportsmen Australia has produced in the last 50 years.

ARU Managing Director and CEO, John O’Neill AO, said Thornett would always be remembered for his deeds in both Rugby codes.

“There could be no greater tribute to a Rugby forward than to have former All Blacks great Colin Meads describe you as one of the finest second rowers he ever opposed,” Mr O’Neill said.

“Dick Thornett was paid that honour after playing against Meads in 1962.

“Dick Thornett played his 11 Tests across only a short period of time but his impact was enormous. He was a ferocious ball runner and at more than 100kg was a prototype for the modern day forward.

“The Thornett family has given wonderful service to Australian sport. John is a Wallabies legend who captained Australia for many years. Ken never played for the Wallabies but was one of rugby league’s great fullbacks.

“Dick played Tests with them both, across two codes. He was a uniquely talented sportsman and a proud Wallaby. He will be missed.”


Dick Thornett
Full Name: Richard Norman Thornett
Date of Birth: 23/09/1940
School Attended: Randwick Boys HS, Sydney
Wallaby Number: 465
Test Cap: 11
Non-Test Cap: 11
Test Points: 6 (2 tries)
Position Played: Lock
State: NSW 4 (1961)
Clubs: Randwick
Tours: 1961 SA, 1962 NZ

A sad day for Australian sport. I can remember talking to him years ago when that show This is Your life was running. My dad was his accountant. I suggested that it was a bit of a joke that someone like him couldn't get a gig. He in a typically modest moment told me it was not a drama. Although he didn't play alot of tests to go from Olympian to Wallaby in 1 year is astounding. To represent Australia in 3 sports was amazing.

 

[Lindommer]

Dick excelled as a sportsman but never quite settled down after hanging up his boots. Probably his most memorable stint in business was as mine host of the Dolphin Hotel in Surry Hills in the early 70s, he would've been in his late 30s then I suppose. One of a group I knocked around with at the time knew Dick, and his then wife Maureen, and we had a few good nights at the Dolphin. Dick was an old-fashioned publican, always behind the bar with a tale to tell or a joke to be told. He tried to make a go of that Spanish bar/motel in Phillip Street, Redfern, without success. The last I heard of Dick he was breeding rabbits up at Millthorpe.

One New Year's Eve we called in after the races at Randwick. We were supposed to be on our way to a party at Palm Beach but none of us felt like that trek, so we put it off, and off, and off. Come 11:00pm Dick closed the pub and pulled out a box of bubbly. I'll never forget watching a Wallaby second-rower dancing on the bar of the Dolphin as we saw in the new year.

Vale, Dick, played strong, done good.

 

[wamberal]

A truly great Wallaby. He would have been even greater if he had been selected as a flanker. In those days, the weird idea always persisted in Australian rugby - at all levels - that the two flankers had to be little blokes. If you were big, you had to be a second-rower.


He is my 6 in my all-time Wallabies team (players that I have actually seen).