Paul Thorburn

Last updated

Paul Thorburn
Paul Thorburn 2014.jpg
Paul Thorburn in 2014
Birth namePaul Huw Thorburn
Date of birth (1962-11-24) 24 November 1962 (age 61)
Place of birth Rheindahlen, West Germany
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight14 st 2 lb (90 kg)
School Hereford Cathedral School
University University College, Swansea
Rugby union career
Position(s) Full back
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
South Gower RFC ()
Ebbw Vale RFC ()
Neath RFC ()
Barbarian F.C. ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
19851991 Wales 37 (304)

Paul Thorburn (born 24 November 1962 in Rheindahlen, West Germany) is a former Neath RFC and international Wales rugby union player who played at full back and also featured in the Welsh international team.

Thorburn was a prolific long-distance goal kicker. He holds the record for the longest successful kick in an international test match (although not the longest in Rugby Union as a whole). He gained the record during the 1986 Five Nations Championship at Cardiff Arms Park with a penalty kick measuring exactly 70 yards 8 and a half inches (64.2m) against Scotland.

Thorburn was also in the Wales squad for the 1987 Rugby World Cup, during which he scored a conversion that won Wales third place in the competition.

He retired from playing in 1991. He was tournament director for the World Cup in 1999 and also a former special projects manager for the Welsh Rugby Union. [1]

In 2006 he joined Ospreys after leaving the Welsh Rugby Union, however he left the club in June 2010 to pursue other business interests. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Jenkins</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player and coach

Neil Jenkins, is a Welsh former rugby union player and current coach. He played fly-half, centre, or full back for Pontypridd, Cardiff, Celtic Warriors, Wales and the British & Irish Lions. Jenkins is Wales' highest ever points-scorer and is the fifth highest on the List of leading rugby union test point scorers. He was the first player to score 1,000 points in international matches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ospreys (rugby union)</span> Welsh rugby union team

The Ospreys, formerly the Neath–Swansea Ospreys is one of the four professional rugby union teams from Wales. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team formed as a result of Neath RFC and Swansea RFC combining to create a new merged entity, as part of the new regional structure of Welsh rugby, that began in 2003. They are also affiliated with a number of local semi-professional and amateur clubs, including Welsh Premier Division sides Aberavon RFC, Bridgend Ravens, and original founding clubs Neath and Swansea. The regional area represented by the team has widely become known for rugby purposes as 'Ospreylia'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Charvis</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player

Colin Charvis is a former professional rugby union player. A back row forward, Charvis was equally adept as a flanker or at number 8. Born in Sutton Coldfield, England, he captained the Wales national team from 2002 to 2004, and also played for the British & Irish Lions on their tour of Australia in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gavin Henson</span> Welsh international rugby union player

Gavin Lloyd Henson is a Welsh former professional rugby union player, who played as a fly-half, fullback and inside centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane Williams</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player

Shane Mark Williams, is a Welsh former rugby union player most famous for his long and successful tenure as a wing for the Ospreys and the Wales national team. He also played scrum-half on occasion. Williams is the record try scorer for Wales, and is fourth on the international list of leading rugby union test try scorers behind Daisuke Ohata, Bryan Habana and David Campese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Thomas</span> Wales international rugby union footballer

Jonathan Thomas is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player, he played mainly at flanker having also played at number eight and lock. He was previously head coach of Worcester Warriors. On 17 January 2023 he was appointed as an Assistant Coach of the Welsh rugby union team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Phillips (rugby union)</span> British Lions & Wales international rugby union footballer

William Michael Phillips is a rugby union player who plays at scrum-half. On 16 March 2013, Phillips surpassed the record of 76 caps set by Dwayne Peel as the most capped scrum-half for Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Hook (rugby union)</span> GB & Wales international rugby union player

James William Hook is a retired Welsh rugby union player. Hook has won 81 caps for Wales and is Wales' fifth highest all-time points scorer. Most often playing as a fly-half, Hook is known as a utility player, and has also played as a centre, wing and fullback.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duncan Jones (rugby union)</span> Wales international rugby union footballer

Duncan James Jones is a former Welsh rugby union player who played at loose head prop for the Ospreys in the Pro12 and has played for Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gareth Delve</span> Wales rugby union footballer

Gareth Leon Delve is a former Wales international rugby union player, and former captain of Gloucester. In late 2010, he moved to Australia where he went on to captain the Melbourne Rebels. His usual position is number 8.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alun Wyn Jones</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player

Alun Wyn Jones is a Welsh former international rugby union player who played as a lock. He played most of his career for Ospreys and for the Wales national team. He is the world's most-capped rugby union player, with 158 caps for Wales and 13 for the British & Irish Lions, and also holds the records for the most Wales caps and the second most Wales caps as captain. He retired from rugby in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Jones (rugby union, born 1981)</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player

Adam Rhys Jones is a Welsh former professional international rugby union player for Wales and the British & Irish Lions. He is currently scrum coach for Premiership Rugby club Harlequins

Lyn Jones is a former Wales international rugby union player. Originally playing as a flanker, Jones subsequently became a coach. He played most of his playing career for Neath RFC and started his coaching career at the same club. Jones has coached professional clubs in Wales and England and, in 2018, became head coach of the Russian national rugby union team. He subsequently became a coach with national rugby team of the Netherlands.

Craig Mitchell is a retired Wales international rugby union player. He previously played for Aviva Premiership side Exeter Chiefs. He subsequently joined Newport Gwent Dragons and he was released at the end of the 2016–17 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhys Webb</span> British Lions & Wales international rugby union footballer

Rhys Webb is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half. Born in Bridgend, he is a product of the Ospreys academy and played club rugby for Bridgend and Aberavon before breaking into the regional side in 2008. He played for the Ospreys for 10 years before moving to French club Toulon in 2018, but terminated his contract with them in 2020 and agreed a return to the Ospreys; however, he was unable to join the Ospreys immediately and signed for Bath for the remainder of the 2019–20 season before returning to the Ospreys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leigh Halfpenny</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player

Stephen Leigh Halfpenny is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a fullback or wing for Harlequins in the English Premiership. Halfpenny is the third highest points scorer for Wales after Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Biggar</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player

Daniel Biggar is a Welsh professional rugby union player currently playing for French Top 14 side Toulon as a fly-half. A Wales international, Biggar has also twice been selected to tour with the British and Irish Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George North</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player (born 1992)

George Philip North is a professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for Pro D2 club Provence Rugby. Born in England, he represents Wales at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Tipuric</span> British Lions & Wales international rugby union footballer

Justin Tipuric is a former Welsh international rugby union player who played for Wales as an openside flanker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owen Williams (rugby union, born 1992)</span> Welsh rugby player (born 1992)

Owen Williams is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for the Ospreys. He has represented Wales and Wales U20.

References

  1. "THE Ospreys have paid tribute to Paul Thorburn after his surprise departure from the Liberty Stadium". Thisissouthwales.co.uk. 16 June 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  2. "BBC Sport – Rugby Union – Ospreys confirm Paul Thorburn departure". BBC News. 15 June 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2013.