Reuben Thorne

Reuben David Thorne (born January 2, 1975 in Christchurch) is a New Zealand rugby union player, and former captain of the national team, the All Blacks.

Related Topics:
January 2 - 1975 - Christchurch - New Zealand - Rugby union - All Blacks

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Playing as a flanker, Thorne first appeared in the Super 12 with the Canterbury Crusaders in 1998. He became captain in 2002, immediately leading the Crusaders to Super 12 victory in an unprecedented "perfect" season—13 wins from 13 games. In 2003 and 2004 the Crusaders were runners-up in the Super 12 under his leadership.

Related Topics:
Super 12 - Canterbury Crusaders

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Thorne was a rarity among All Blacks, especially captains, in that he never made an international appearance at any age-group level. He earned his first All Black cap in 1999, playing a single test against the Springboks before the 1999 Rugby Union World Cup. Taking over as captain from an injured Anton Oliver, he led the All Blacks throughout 2002 and 2003, apart from a brief tour of the UK and France in November 2002 which he missed due to a chronic ankle problem, causing former captain Taine Randell to be briefly recalled to the skipper's role. Although the team's record was excellent under Thorne's leadership (playing 22 test matches for 19 wins and 3 losses, and winning the Tri Nations Series both years and the Bledisloe Cup in 2003), his captaincy ended on a low note as the team was eliminated by the Wallabies in the semi-finals of the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup.

Related Topics:
Springboks - 1999 Rugby Union World Cup - Anton Oliver - UK - France - Taine Randell - Tri Nations Series - Bledisloe Cup - Wallabies - 2003 Rugby Union World Cup

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Since then, Thorne has been replaced by Tana Umaga as All Blacks captain, and has in fact not even been in the squad since 2003. His record as an All Black stands at 41 tests played (22 as captain) for 33 wins and 8 losses, with 5 tries scored.

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