Richard Norman Thornett[1] (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.
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).
Water Polo career
As his summer sport, Dick followed in the footsteps of his two older brothers and was drawn to playing water polo for Bronte Amateur Water Polo Club. Under the leadership of his brother John Thornett and the expert coaching of ex-Hungarian international Bert Vadas, Dick became an excellent water polo player with a legendary shot at goal, and was a member of Bronte’s inaugural 1st Grade water polo winning team in the NSWAWPA Premiership season of 1958/59, which they repeated in the 1959/60, 1960/61 and 1961/62 seasons. Representing Bronte at the age of 17, Dick was chosen in the NSW State water polo team in 1958 where he competed at the Australian Water Polo Championships in Sydney, and was selected to represent NSW on three other occasions at the Australian Water Polo Championships in Perth (1959), Melbourne (1960) and Adelaide (1961).[2] Dick was also selected to represent Australia at water polo at age 20 for the 1960 Rome Olympic Games.[3] Unfortunately, he was later banned from playing water polo by the Australian Swimming Union after he turned ‘professional’ by joining Parramatta Rugby League Club in 1962.
Rugby Union career
A Randwick DRUFC 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.
Rugby League career
Thornett was a second-rower, and joined his brother Ken at the Parramatta Eels in 1963.[4] He played there until 1971, making 168 appearances for the club, being a master ball player informing the style-changing ball skills that Arthur Beetson 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.
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 First 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 rugby, 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 an acclaimed 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.
dick, thornett, richard, norman, thornett, september, 1940, october, 2011, five, australians, have, represented, their, country, three, sports, olympic, water, polo, player, before, becoming, rugby, league, rugby, union, player, dual, code, international, repr. Richard Norman Thornett 1 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 Dick ThornettBirth nameRichard Norman ThornettDate of birth 1940 09 23 23 September 1940Place of birthSydney New South WalesDate of death12 October 2011 2011 10 12 aged 71 Place of deathSydney New South WalesNotable relative s John Thornett brother Ken Thornett brother Rugby league careerPosition s Second rowSenior careerYearsTeamApps Points 1963 71Parramatta Eels160 173 1972Eastern Suburbs9 3 State of OriginYearsTeamApps Points 1963 69New South Wales13 21 National team s YearsTeamApps Points 1963 68Australia11 3 Rugby union careerPosition s LockAmateur team s YearsTeamApps Points 1961 62Randwick DRUFC National team s YearsTeamApps Points 1961 62Australia11 6 Contents 1 Olympian 2 Water Polo career 3 Rugby Union career 4 Rugby League career 5 Sporting brothers 6 References 7 Bibliography 8 External linksOlympian EditThornett 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 Water Polo career EditAs his summer sport Dick followed in the footsteps of his two older brothers and was drawn to playing water polo for Bronte Amateur Water Polo Club Under the leadership of his brother John Thornett and the expert coaching of ex Hungarian international Bert Vadas Dick became an excellent water polo player with a legendary shot at goal and was a member of Bronte s inaugural 1st Grade water polo winning team in the NSWAWPA Premiership season of 1958 59 which they repeated in the 1959 60 1960 61 and 1961 62 seasons Representing Bronte at the age of 17 Dick was chosen in the NSW State water polo team in 1958 where he competed at the Australian Water Polo Championships in Sydney and was selected to represent NSW on three other occasions at the Australian Water Polo Championships in Perth 1959 Melbourne 1960 and Adelaide 1961 2 Dick was also selected to represent Australia at water polo at age 20 for the 1960 Rome Olympic Games 3 Unfortunately he was later banned from playing water polo by the Australian Swimming Union after he turned professional by joining Parramatta Rugby League Club in 1962 Rugby Union career EditA Randwick DRUFC 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 Rugby League career EditThornett was a second rower and joined his brother Ken at the Parramatta Eels in 1963 4 He played there until 1971 making 168 appearances for the club being a master ball player informing the style changing ball skills that Arthur Beetson 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 national rugby league team to mark the New Zealand Rugby League s diamond jubilee 5 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 First 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 rugby 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 EditThornett was born into a family of legendary footballing brothers John Thornett was an acclaimed 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 References Edit Dick Thornett rugby union profile ESPN Scrum com New South Wales Amateur Water Polo Association Annual Reports for 1957 58 1958 59 1959 60 and 1960 61 New South Wales Amateur Water Polo Association Annual Reports for 1959 60 Toby Creswell and Samantha Trenoweth 2006 1001 Australians You Should Know Australia Pluto Press p 715 ISBN 978 1 86403 361 8 Coffey John and Bernie Wood Auckland 100 years of rugby league 1909 2009 2009 ISBN 978 1 86969 366 4 p p 207 208Bibliography EditWhiticker Alan amp Hudson Glen 2006 The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players Gavin Allen Publishing Sydney Andrews Malcolm 2006 The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn SydneyExternal links EditDick Thornett at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Dick Thornett at eraofthebiff com Dick Thornett at menofleague com Richard Thornett a Tribute Dick Thornett at the Australian Olympic Committee Dick Thornett at Olympedia Dick Thornett at Olympics com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dick Thornett amp oldid 1103843236, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
