Lance Thompson
{{Short description|Australian rugby league footballer (1978–2018)}}
{{for|the Balmain and Newtown player|Lance Thompson (rugby league, born 1961)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Lance Thompson
|fullname =
|image =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{birth date|1978|2|16|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
|death_date = {{death date and age|2018|08|23|1978|2|16|df=yes}}
|death_place = Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia
|height = {{convert|185|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
|weight = {{convert|100|kg|stlb|0|abbr=on}}
|retired = yes
|position = {{rlp|SR|PR}}
|club1 = St George Dragons
|year1start = 1995
|year1end = 98
|appearances1 = 69
|tries1 = 4
|goals1 = 9
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 34
|club2 = St. George Illawarra
|year2start = 1999
|year2end = 05
|appearances2 = 132
|tries2 = 20
|goals2 = 8
|fieldgoals2 = 0
|points2 = 96
|club3 = Cronulla Sharks
|year3start = 2006
|year3end = 08
|appearances3 = 38
|tries3 = 5
|goals3 = 1
|fieldgoals3 = 0
|points3 = 22
|teamA = NSW City
|yearAstart = 2001
|yearAend = 07
|appearancesA = 5
|triesA = 0
|goalsA = 0
|fieldgoalsA = 0
|pointsA = 0
|updated = 12:21, 6 January 2008 (UTC)
}}
Lance Thompson (16 February 1978 – 23 August 2018) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for St. George, St. George Illawarra and Cronulla-Sutherland. He primarily played in the {{rlp|sr}}, though he also played {{rlp|pr}}.
Background
While attending Kingsgrove High School, Thompson was selected to play for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1994 and 1995.{{cite web|publisher=Sporting Pulse|title=Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League|url=http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=7-2130-0-0-0&sID=26424|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901140005/http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=7-2130-0-0-0&sID=26424|access-date=24 September 2019|archive-date=1 September 2006}} He played his junior football with Hurstville United.
Professional playing career
=St. George and St. George Illawarra=
Thompson made his first grade debut in Round 13, St George against Cronulla at Toyota Park, 24 June 1995 as a 17-year-old. He played for the club until the end of 2006. Thompson played at second-row forward for St. George in the 1996 ARL Grand Final loss to Manly Warringah and
for St. George Illawarra Dragons in their 1999 NRL Grand Final loss to the Melbourne Storm. During his many years at the Dragons, Lance Thompson was a crowd favourite at Kogarah and Wollongong, and it caused some controversy amongst supporters when he departed at the end of the 2005 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/11/28/november-28-thommo-joins-sharks-sticky-sorry-for-ref-rant/|title=Thommo joins Sharks; Sticky sorry for ref rant|website=NRL}}
=Cronulla-Sutherland=
During 2006, Thompson's appearances for Cronulla against his former side, St George Illawarra, were highly anticipated. The first of these matches saw Thompson scoring two tries, and the second involved St. George player Dean Young being injured in a Thompson tackle, sidelining Young for most of the 2007 season.
In 2007 Thompson was selected for the final time for the City side which won the annual City vs. Country match, the NSWRL's precursor to the State of Origin series. Thompson played his final NRL game in Round 6 against the Penrith Panthers after announcing his retirement from Rugby league on Wednesday, 16 April. In a press conference, Thompson explained that the reason for this decision was an ongoing knee injury sustained in 2007 and because he was diagnosed with type one diabetes and that he had "one last game left in him." Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks coach Ricky Stuart gave Thompson his last game in Round 6 for his "last hurrah."{{Cite news|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23548337-23214,00.html|title=Thompson to call time|date=2008-04-16|work=Fox Sports Australia|access-date=2008-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522102305/http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/nrl-premiership/thompson-to-call-time/story-e6frf6jc-1111116076552|archive-date=2011-05-22|url-status=dead|agency=AAP|df=dmy-all}} Thompson scored a try early in the match but Cronulla lost the game 20–21 in golden point.
Post playing
Thompson later became coach of the Cronulla side in the reserve-grade New South Wales Cup competition. At the time of his death, he managed the bistro at the Woolooware Golf Club, which was thriving at the time.[https://web.archive.org/web/20180910090621/http://wooloowaregolfclub.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/LTs-Bar-and-Grill-Front3.pdf Woolooware Golf Club Menu] Woolooware Golf Club 2018
Death
Thompson died in Cronulla on 23 August 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/lance-thompson-nrl-mourns-the-loss-of-dragons-legend/news-story/2bd12a607c52ec6f343fcead19b8f8d2|title=Lance Thompson: NRL mourns the death of Dragons legend|date=2018-08-24|website=Fox Sports Australia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180824004821/https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/lance-thompson-nrl-mourns-the-loss-of-dragons-legend/news-story/2bd12a607c52ec6f343fcead19b8f8d2?&nk=49e8a457b34bfd9ce38a1536edc5db52-1535071701|archive-date=2018-08-24|url-status=live|access-date=2018-08-24|df=dmy-all}} The death was believed to be a medical episode.{{Cite web|date=2018-08-23|title=NRL great Lance Thompson dies at 40|url=https://www.2gb.com/sharks-player-lance-thompson-dies-at-40/|access-date=2021-09-26|website=2GB|language=en}} He was honored by more than 400 friends, family, teammates, and coaches at a tribute luncheon in Sydney.{{Cite web|date=2019-02-15|title=Lance Thompson: Hard nut with a soft underbelly|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/02/15/lance-thompson-hard-nut-with-a-soft-underbelly/|access-date=2021-09-26|website=National Rugby League|language=en}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080327161229/http://www.sharks.com.au/index.php?id=651 Cronulla Sharks profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080113113311/http://www.nrl.com.au/Clubs/Sharks/SharksPlayerProfile/tabid/234/playerid/48/Default.aspx NRL Profile]
{{Inaugural St. George Illawarra Dragons squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Lance}}
Category:Australian rugby league players
Category:St. George Dragons players
Category:St. George Illawarra Dragons players
Category:Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks players
Category:New South Wales City Origin rugby league team players
Category:Rugby league second-rows
Category:Australian rugby league coaches
Category:Sportsmen from New South Wales