Dick Thornett was an Australian rugby league and rugby union player - a dual international. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short He represented for the Wallabies in 11 Tests in 1961-62 and the Kangaroos in Tests against South Africa in 1963, on the 1963-64 Kangaroo Tour and in 3 matches of the 1968 World Cup. The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in Rugby union.
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. Michael Arthur Cleary AO (b 30 April 1940) is an Australian former Rugby league and Rugby union player and politician Jimmy Lisle (1939-2003 was an Australian Rugby league and Rugby union player - a dual code rugby international
He was a Front Rower with the Parramatta Eels in 1960s. A typical Rugby league team consists of thirteen players on the field plus four substitutes on the bench The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional Rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. He played 168 games for the club.
Dick Thornett also represented Australia at Water polo in the 1960 Rome Olympics giving him the truly rare sporting distinction of being a triple international. See also (Michael Cleary). Michael Arthur Cleary AO (b 30 April 1940) is an Australian former Rugby league and Rugby union player and politician
He 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. John Thornett (born 30 March 1935) is a former Australian Rugby union player having played 37 Tests for Australia between 1955 and Ken Thornett was the leading Australian Rugby League fullback in the early sixties. Ken Thornett is a former Australian Rugby league player He represented for the Kangaroos in 12 Tests in 1963-64 and on the 1963-64 Kangaroo Tour Ken earned 12 Test caps for Australia and played alongside Dick at Parramatta over a 136 game club career.
John and Dick both played together in Wallabies sides in 1961-62 and Dick and Ken played in the same side in 3 test matches on the 1963-64 Kangaroo Tour.