Grahame Thorne
| Full name | Grahame Stuart Thorne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 February 1946 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 83 kg (183 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Auckland Grammar School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Auckland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position(s) | Second five-eighth, centre | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand No. | 66 | ||
| Provincial / State sides | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| 1968–70, 74 |
Auckland Northern Transvaal Natal |
23 | () |
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| 1967–70 | New Zealand | 10 | (3) |
Grahame Stuart Thorne (born 25 February 1946) is a former All Black rugby player, rugby union commentator, Member of Parliament and municipal councillor. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand.
A centre and second five-eighth, Thorne represented Auckland at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1967 to 1970. He played 39 matches for the All Blacks including 10 internationals. In the early 1970s he lived in South Africa and played for Northern Transvaal and Natal. In 2014, he featured on a list of the top 100 All Blacks.
Grahame's sons Bruce and David also played rugby union. Bruce played for Transvaal and the Junior Springboks and David played club rugby in Nelson.
After his playing career, Thorne worked as a sports commentator for Television New Zealand, often appearing alongside Keith Quinn.
Thorne was the National Party Member of Parliament for Onehunga in the 43rd parliament from 1990 to 1993. He won the seat in a landslide victory: the seat had been held by Labour since 1938.
After his parliamentary career Thorne held local government roles as an elected councillor of Onehunga Borough Council, Auckland City Council, Auckland Regional Council, Nelson City Council (2004); was an unsuccessful candidate for Christchurch City Council in 2007 then was an unsuccessful candidate for Queenstown Lakes District Council in 2010. Thorne described his unsuccessful Christchurch candidacy as due to "not thinking clearly at the time" but that he had generally "given [his] best when elected to public office."
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