| Birth name | Neville Henry Thornton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 12 December 1918 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Ōtāhuhu, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 12 September 1998 (aged 79) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 93 kg (205 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Otahuhu College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | School principal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Neville Henry Thornton (12 December 1918 – 12 September 1998) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A number eight, Thornton represented King Country and Auckland at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1947 and 1949. He played 19 matches for the All Blacks including three internationals.[1]
During World War II, Thornton served with the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF), and in February 1945 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the New Zealand Infantry.[2] Following the end of the war, he toured Britain and France with the NZEF rugby team, known as the "Kiwis", playing in 18 matches and scoring nine tries.[1] After returning to New Zealand, Thornton studied at Auckland University College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1951 and a Master of Arts in 1959.[3] A schoolteacher, Thornton was principal of Rotorua Boys' High School from 1960 to 1962, and then Papakura High School until 1977.[1]