Thorne
Reuben Thorne is a former captain of the All Blacks and a legend of Canterbury and the Crusaders.
Reuben Thorne Bio
Reuben Thorne is a former New Zealand captain who was capped 50 times by his country. At the domestic level, he played for Canterbury and the Crusaders for the vast majority of his career.
Born 2 January 1975, Reuben Thorne began his rugby-playing career in 1996, when he made his first appearance for Canterbury. Although he began as a flanker, he also spent much of his career playing as a lock.
At the domestic level, Reuben Thorne immediately impressed while playing for Canterbury. As a result, after only one season with the side, he was called up to represent the Crusaders for the first time in 1997.
Again, Reuben Thorne was highly impressive. As a result, he was named as the captain of the Crusaders in 2002. In his first season in the role, he guided them to a ‘perfect season’ (13 wins from 13 games) and the Super 12 title.
In total, between 1996/97 and 2008, Reuben Thorne made 71 appearances for Canterbury and 129 appearances for the Crusaders. During this time, he won the Super Rugby title an impressive 7 times.
During his time with Canterbury and the Crusaders, Reuben Thorne became a regular selection for the All Blacks. In 2002, he was even named as the captain of the side. However, although the team’s record was impressive under his leadership (19 wins and 3 losses in 22 tests), he was replaced as captain after New Zealand lost at the semi-final stage of the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
Between 1999 and 2007, Reuben Thorne made 50 appearances for the All Blacks. However, after representing his country at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, he announced that he was leaving New Zealand and would play in Japan the following season. He briefly returned to the Crusaders in 2011 due to injuries in the squad, and retired shortly after.
After retiring, Reuben Thorne moved back to Canterbury as a coach. However, he has since left his position with the side. He also runs his own business.
