| Fullname | Blade Neville Thomson |
|---|---|
| Birth date | 4 December 1990 (age 35) |
| Birth place | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Height | 1.98 m |
| Weight | 106 kg (16 st 10 lb; 234 lb) |
| School | Gisborne Boys' High School |
| Position | Number 8 Blindside Flanker Lock |
| Years 1 | 2010–2017 |
| Apps 1 | 47 |
| Points 1 | 60 |
| Years 2 | 2013–2018 |
| Apps 2 | 45 |
| Points 2 | 50 |
| Years 3 | 2018–2023 |
| Apps 3 | 54 |
| Points 3 | 15 |
| Repyears 1 | 2010 |
| Repteam 1 | New Zealand U20 |
| Repcaps 1 | 5 |
| Reppoints 1 | 15 |
| Repyears 2 | 2013–2015 |
| Repteam 2 | Maori All Blacks |
| Repcaps 2 | 6 |
| Reppoints 2 | 0 |
| Repyears 3 | 2019–2021 |
| Repteam 3 | Scotland |
| Repcaps 3 | 10 |
| Reppoints 3 | 0 |
| Clubupdate | 16 February 2023 |
Blade Neville Thomson (born 4 December 1990) is a former professional rugby union player who played as a lock or loose forward. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, he represented Scotland in international rugby, being eligible for the national team through his paternal grandfather, Robert, who was from Wishaw. He played for Taranaki in the ITM Cup[1][2] and for the Super Rugby franchise the ,[3] and spent the last five years of his career playing in Wales for the Scarlets.
Professional career
Thomson was a member of the Hurricanes Wider Training Group in 2012, and he joined the squad for the 2013 Super Rugby season. Thomson missed the 2017 Super Rugby season due to shoulder reconstruction surgery.
Thomson joined Pro14 team the Scarlets at the beginning of the 2018–19 season.
On 16 February 2023, Thomson announced his retirement due to a head injury.[4]
International career
Thomson was a member of the New Zealand Under 20 team that won the 2010 IRB Junior World Championship in Argentina,[5] where the 197 cm forward played alongside the likes of Crusaders Tyler Bleyendaal and Tom Marshall and All Black winger Julian Savea.[6]
In October 2018, Thomson was called up to Scotland for the Autumn Internationals.[7] He made his Scotland debut on 24 August 2019 in a Rugby World Cup warm-up match against France at Murrayfield Stadium.[8]
Thompson was part of the Scotland squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. He played in the 3 matches, as a substitute in the opening game against Ireland before starting against both Samoa and Japan.
Personal life
Thomson is a New Zealander of Māori descent (Ngāpuhi descent).[9]
References
- ^ "Blade Thomson NZ Sports Yahoo profile". Archived 16 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
- ^ "Illness opens door for Blade Thomson". Taranaki Daily News. Fairfax. Archived 12 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
- ^ "Hooker, halfback, prop needed for Hurricanes". Rugby Heaven. Fairfax. 27 October 2012. Archived 5 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
- ^ "Scarlets' Scotland back row Thomson retires". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
- ^ "Champions New Zealand name JWC 2010 squad". Rugby World Cup. IRB. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
- ^ "Super Rugby Profile: Hurricanes – Blade Thomson". Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ "Scotland: Blade Thomson, Sam Skinner and Sam Johnson in Autumn Tests squad". BBC. 17 October 2018. Archived 17 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ Rugby, Scottish (24 August 2019). "Special moment for Blade Thomson receiving his @scotlandteam shirt for his debut today #AsOnepic.twitter.com/4KUZ9nd8C1". Archived 9 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "5 players from Ngāti Porou named in "Maori All Blacks"". Ngāti Porou East Coast. 2015-06-30. Archived 22 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-02-22.