Rob Thirlby
{{short description|England international rugby union player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Rob Thirlby
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Robert Graham Thirlby
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1979|03|02}}
| birth_place = Redruth, Cornwall
England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = {{convert|6|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|91.6|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
| ru_clubyears = 199x–1999
1998
1999-2000
2000-2003
2003
2003–2005
2005-2006
2007
| ru_proclubs = Redruth
→ Penzance & Newlyn
Saracens
Bath Rugby
Rotherham
Penzance & Newlyn
Gloucester Rugby
Redruth
| ru_clubcaps =
28
36
10
| ru_clubpoints =
(71)
(54)
(5)
| repsevensyears1 =
| repsevensteam1 = England
| ru_sevensnationalcaps =
| ru_sevensnationalpoints =
| ru_coachclubs =
| ru_coachyears =
| ru_coachupdate =
| other =
| occupation =
| family =
| spouse = Jess Thirlby
| children =
| relatives = Chris Garland (father-in-law)
| school = Richard Lander School
| university =
}}
Rob Graham Thirlby (born 2 March 1979) is an English rugby union player who plays on the wing or full back for Yatton whilst also acting as the video analyst for Gloucester Rugby.{{cite web
|url = http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/sport/Debutant-Thirlby-adds-class-Yatton-grind-victory/article-2665191-detail/article.html
|title = Debutant Thirlby adds class as Yatton grind out victory
|date = 21 September 2010
|publisher = Bristol Evening Post
|access-date = 1 October 2010
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20100923125206/http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/sport/Debutant-Thirlby-adds-class-Yatton-grind-victory/article-2665191-detail/article.html
|archivedate = 23 September 2010
|df = dmy-all
}} He previously played for Moseley, Penzance-Newlyn, and for Redruth whom he joined from Gloucester Rugby.
He played regularly for the England Sevens team.
Early life
Thirlby was born in Penzance, Cornwall, England, and educated at Richard Lander School.
Club career
Thirlby began his career with Redruth before guesting for Penzance & Newlyn in the 1998 Safari Sevens tournament in Kenya where he was spotted by Kyran Bracken{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/nov/15/rugbyunion.saracens
|title=Ambitious Pirates are no Cornish patsies
|work=The Guardian
|date=15 November 2003
|access-date=27 January 2009
| location=London
| first=Ian
| last=Malin}} who recommended him to Saracens and Thirlby joined the club ahead of the 1998–1999 season. He made his Sarries debut in an Anglo-Welsh clash with Cardiff on 16 January 1999, kicking 11 points in a 36–22 victory.{{cite news
|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-saracens-youngsters-reveal-their-potential-1074752.html
|title=Saracens Youngsters Reveal Their Potential
|work=The Independent
|date=18 January 1999
|access-date=27 January 2009
| location=London
| first=David
| last=Llewellyn}} He made his Premiership debut against Northampton Saints on 6 February 1999 and went on to make 28 appearances for the club in the competition, scoring six tries.
Thirlby left Saracens to join Bath Rugby in May 2000.{{cite web
|url=http://www.bathrugby.com/1833.php
|title=Bath Sign Rob Thirlby
|date=22 May 2000
|publisher=Bath Rugby Official Website
|access-date=27 January 2009}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/rugby_union/761010.stm
|title=England's new boys: Backs
|publisher=BBC Sport
|date=23 May 2000
|access-date=27 January 2009}}{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/rugby_union/810638.stm
|title=England made to dig deep
|publisher=BBC Sport
|date=28 June 2000
|access-date=27 January 2009}} He played 36 times for Bath in the Premiership scoring eight tries, the highlight being the hat-trick of tries he scored against Rotherham on 14 April 2001,{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/1277835.stm
|title=Bath Bury Rotherham
|date=14 April 2001
|publisher=BBC Sport
|access-date=27 January 2009}} before joining Rotherham in February 2003.{{cite web
|url=http://www.bathrugby.com/2614.php
|title=Rob Joins Rotherham
|date=13 February 2003
|publisher=Bath Rugby Official Website
|access-date=27 January 2009}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}} He helped the club secure promotion from National Division One back into the Premiership before returning to Cornwall and Penzance & Newlyn for the 2003–2004 season.
After two seasons with Penzance & Newlyn, Thirlby returned to the Premiership by signing a two-year contract with Gloucester Rugby.{{cite web
|url = http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/1940.php
|title = Gloucester Seal Thirlby Contract
|publisher = Gloucester Rugby Official Website
|date = 17 June 2005
|access-date = 27 January 2009
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110726095256/http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/1940.php
|archivedate = 26 July 2011
|df = dmy-all
}} After just ten Premiership appearances and a solitary try, Thirlby joined Redruth on loan in January 2007, agreeing a two-year contract with the club in March 2007.
International
Thirlby was a regular member of the England Sevens team. He represented the team in both the RWC Sevens 2001 and RWC Sevens 2005, the only England player to do so,{{cite web
|url = http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/RFUHome.Community_Detail/StoryID/9744
|title = Rob Thirlby 2005 RWC Sevens Profile
|publisher = Rugby Football Union Official Website
|access-date = 27 January 2009
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20050314082459/http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/RFUHome.Community_Detail/StoryID/9744
|archivedate = 14 March 2005
|df = dmy-all
}} and was a member of Joe Lydon's twelve-man squad for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.{{cite web
|url=http://www.bathrugby.com/1679.php
|title=Rob Confirmed in England Sevens Squad
|date=25 July 2002
|publisher=Bath Rugby Official Website
|access-date=27 January 2009}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
Although the team returned without medals, they did win the Sevens Plate in the tournament.{{cite web
|url=http://www.bathrugby.com/1545.php
|title=No Medal For Thirlby, But England Lift Games Plate
|date=5 August 2002
|publisher=Bath Rugby Official Website
|access-date=27 January 2009}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
He made 35 appearances in the IRB Sevens World Series, at the time the third-highest total by an England player, which has since been surpassed several times.{{cite web
|url = http://www.irb.com/mm/document/tournament/0/irb7-10-appearances_6509.pdf
|title = IRB Sevens World Series - Top 50 Appearances
|publisher = International Rugby Board Official Website
|access-date = 27 January 2009
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20081209110701/http://www.irb.com/mm/document/tournament/0/irb7-10-appearances_6509.pdf
|archivedate = 9 December 2008
|df = dmy-all
}}
Thirlby received a call up for England's 2000 tour of South Africa,{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/rugby_union/761010.stm
|title=England's new boys: Backs
|publisher=BBC Sport
|date=23 May 2000
|access-date=27 January 2009}} and although he did not appear in the test side, he played in the three tour matches, scoring a try in the 36–27 victory over Gauteng Falcons.{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/rugby_union/810638.stm
|title=England made to dig deep
|publisher=BBC Sport
|date=28 June 2000
|access-date=27 January 2009}}
Personal life
Thirlby is married to Jess Garland, a former England netball international. In 2019 she was appointed head coach of the England national netball team. Like her future husband, Garland also represented England at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. They have two children. Thirlby also has a child from a previous relationship. His father-in-law was Chris Garland, a professional footballer.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/netball/2019/08/17/exclusive-interview-england-netball-head-coach-jess-thirlby/|title=Exclusive interview: England Netball head coach Jess Thirlby on replacing Tracey Neville and why chocolate will be key to a happy household|publisher=www.telegraph.co.uk|access-date=18 February 2020|date=17 August 2019}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930015252/http://www.england-rugby.com/englandrugby/index.cfm?fuseaction=News.News_Detail&storyid=15327 England Sevens Profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thirlby, Rob}}
Category:Commonwealth Games rugby sevens players for England
Category:Cornish Pirates players
Category:England international rugby sevens players
Category:English rugby sevens players
Category:English rugby union players
Category:Gloucester Rugby players
Category:Birmingham Moseley Rugby players
Category:Rotherham Titans players
Category:Rugby sevens players at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
Category:Rugby union fullbacks