Thor Halvorsen
{{Short description|South African rugby union player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Use South African English|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox rugby union biography
| name = Thor Halvorsen
| image =
| fullname = Thorleif Halvorsen
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|05|09|df=y}}
| birth_place = Cape Town, South Africa
| height = {{height|m=1.92}}
| weight = {{convert|108|kg|stlb lb|0|abbr=on}}
| nickname =
| occupation =
| school = Hoër Landbouskool Boland, Paarl
| university = University of South Africa
| relatives =
| position = Flanker / No 8 / Lock
| currentclub = Rovigo Delta
| youthyears1 = 2006–2009
| youthclubs1 = {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}}
| years1 = 2010–2013
| clubs1 = {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}}
| apps1 = 39
| points1 = 15
| years2 = 2013–2016
| clubs2 = Mogliano
| apps2 = 56
| points2 = 45
| years3 = 2016–2017
| clubs3 = {{Rut|SWD Eagles}}
| apps3 = 17
| points3 = 25
| years4 = 2017
| clubs4 = Mogliano
| apps4 = 3
| points4 = 0
| years5 = 2018
| clubs5 = {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}}
| apps5 = 1
| points5 = 0
| years6 = 2018−2019
| clubs6 = Rovigo Delta
| apps6 = 20
| points6 = 20
| years7 = 2019−2020
| clubs7 = Colorno
| apps7 = 6
| points7 = 5
| amatyears1 = 2007
| amatteam1 = ASRV Ascrum
| amatcaps1 =
| amatpoints1 =
| clubupdate = 23 October 2018
}}
Thorleif Halvorsen (born 9 May 1988 in Cape Town, South Africa) is a South African rugby union player for Rovigo Delta in the Top12 in Italy.{{SA Rugby Player Profile | id=42038 | name=Thor Halvorsen | date=22 June 2016}} He usually plays as a loose forward.
Rugby career
=Boland Cavaliers=
Halvorsen played for the Wellington-based {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}} at youth level, representing them in the Under-19 Provincial Championships in 2006 and 2007 and in the Under-21 Provincial Championships in 2008 and 2009.
In 2010, he was included in their senior squad for the first time for their 2010 Currie Cup First Division campaign.{{SA Rugby Squad | teamid=8049 | team=Boland | compid=768 | comp=2010 ABSA Currie Cup First Div | accessdate=22 June 2016}} He made his first class debut on 6 August 2010 in their Round Four match against the {{Rut|SWD Eagles}}, starting in a 36–45 defeat in George.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=19532 | homeid=8047 | awayid=8049 | leagueid=768 | hometeam=SWD | homescore=45 | awayscore=36 | awayteam=Boland | matchdate=6 August 2010 | date=22 June 2016}} He made a further two starts and three appearances as a replacement during the remainder of the campaign, helping Boland to finish in third position on the log to qualify for the title play-offs.{{SA Rugby Log | id=768 | comp=2010 ABSA Currie Cup First Div | date=22 June 2016}} He was named on the bench for their semi-final match against the {{Rut|Eastern Province Kings}}, but wasn't used in a 25–26 defeat in Port Elizabeth.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=19456 | homeid=8045 | awayid=8049 | leagueid=768 | hometeam=Eastern Province Kings | homescore=26 | awayscore=25 | awayteam=Boland | matchdate=9 October 2010 | date=22 June 2016}}
He made five appearances in the 2011 Vodacom Cup competition for a Boland side that finished sixth in the Southern Section of the competition{{SA Rugby Squad | teamid=8463 | team=Boland Cavaliers | compid=802 | comp=2011 Vodacom Cup | accessdate=22 June 2016}} before returning for his second Currie Cup campaign. He made three starts and four appearances as a replacement for them during the regular season, helping them to nine victories out of ten to finish top of the log.{{SA Rugby Log | id=810 | comp=2011 ABSA Currie Cup First Div | date=22 June 2016}} He came on as a replacement just before the hour mark in their semi-final match against the {{Rut|Griffons}} and scored his first try in first class rugby a few minutes after coming on, as his side eased to a 50–20 victory.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=20226 | homeid=8554 | awayid=8552 | leagueid=810 | hometeam=Regent Boland Cavaliers | homescore=50 | awayscore=20 | awayteam=Tasol Solar Griffons | matchdate=7 October 2011 | date=22 June 2016}} He also played off the bench in the final, where his team secured a 43–12 win over the {{Rut|Eastern Province Kings}} to win the title.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=102581 | homeid=8554 | awayid=8549 | leagueid=810 | hometeam=Regent Boland Cavaliers | homescore=43 | awayscore=12 | awayteam=Eastern Province Kings | matchdate=14 October 2011 | date=22 June 2016}}
He made a single appearance in the 2012 Vodacom Cup – starting in a 22–51 defeat to Western Cape rivals {{Rut|Western Province}}{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=103631 | homeid=11421 | awayid=11431 | leagueid=1211 | hometeam=DHL Western Province | homescore=51 | awayscore=22 | awayteam=Regent Boland Kavaliers | matchdate=10 March 2012 | date=22 June 2016}} – but made eight appearances as the team attempted to defend their Currie Cup title. After four appearances as a replacement in rounds two to five, he made four consecutive starts later in the season. It was a disappointing season for the defending champions, winning just three of their fourteen matches and finishing the season in sixth position.{{SA Rugby Log | id=1241 | comp=2012 ABSA Currie Cup First Div | date=22 June 2016}}
Halvorsen started the 2013 Vodacom Cup season in good form, scoring two first-half tries in a 27–23 victory over a {{Rut|Free State XV}} in his first appearance of the season.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=103934 | homeid=11734 | awayid=11704 | leagueid=1164 | hometeam=Toyota Free State XV | homescore=23 | awayscore=27 | awayteam=Regent Boland Cavaliers | matchdate=16 March 2013 | date=22 June 2016}} He made a further three appearances, but the team's failed to pick up another victory and eventually finished bottom of the Southern Section log.{{SA Rugby Log | id=1164 | comp=2013 Vodacom Cup | date=22 June 2016}} He made a further six appearances in the 2013 Currie Cup First Division, his last matches in a Boland Cavaliers shirt.
=Mogliano=
Halvorsen moved to Italy to join National Championship of Excellence side Mogliano prior to the 2013–14 season.{{cite press release | url=http://www.rugbymogliano.it/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=985:le-prime-dichiarazioni-di-thor-halvorsen&catid=38:news-prima-squadra&Itemid=78 | title=Le prime dichiarazioni di thor halvorsen | publisher=Mogliano Rugby | date=7 August 2013 | access-date=22 June 2016 | language=Italian}} He immediately established himself as the first-choice number eight at Mogliano, starting 18 of their 22 matches during the season{{cite web | url=http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player-22611.html | title=Rugby - Player statistics Halvorsen Thorleif - club stats | work=It's Rugby | access-date=22 June 2016}} and scoring two tries. Mogliano finished in third position on the log and Halvorsen featured in their 19-22 and 30–31 defeats against Rovigo in the two-legged semi-final.{{cite web | url=http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player-zoom-22611-italy-2013-game.html | title=Rugby - Player statistics Halvorsen Thorleif - club stats - Super 10 2013 - Games played | work=It's Rugby | access-date=22 June 2016}} In addition to the National Championship of Excellence, Halvorsen also made five appearances in the 2013–14 European Challenge Cup.{{cite web | url=http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player-zoom-22611-europeanchallenge-2013-game.html | title=Rugby - Player statistics Halvorsen Thorleif - club stats - Amlin Challenge Cup 2013 - Games played | work=It's Rugby | access-date=22 June 2016}} His side had a poor season in Pool 2 of the competition, however, losing all six of their matches.
In the 2014–2015 season, Halvorsen made 16 appearances – including 14 starts{{cite web | url=http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player-zoom-22611-super10-2014-game.html | title=Rugby - Player statistics Halvorsen Thorleif - club stats - Super 10 2014 - Games played | work=It's Rugby | access-date=22 June 2016}} – for Mogliano as the team once again finished in third position on the log. After scoring four tries during the regular season against Rovigo, San Donà, Lazio and Calvisano,{{cite web | url=http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player-zoom-22611-super10-2014-try.html | title=Rugby - Player statistics Halvorsen Thorleif - club stats - Super 10 2014 - Tries scored | work=It's Rugby | access-date=22 June 2016}} he scored his fifth try of the season in the first leg of their semi-final play-off series against Calvisano. However, it wasn't enough as his side lost the match 15–30,{{cite web | url=http://www.federugby.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8122:eccellenza-e-del-cammi-calvisano-la-seconda-semifinale-dandata&catid=359:eccellenza&Itemid=912 | title=ECCELLENZA, E' DEL CAMMI CALVISANO LA SECONDA SEMIFINALE D'ANDATA | work=Federazione Italiana Rugby | date=17 May 2015 | access-date=22 June 2016 | language=Italian}} and a 24–23 second leg victory wasn't enough to overturn the deficit, which meant Mogliano got eliminated at the semi-final stage for the second season in a row.
As in 2014–15, Halvorsen made 14 starts and two appearances off the bench in the 2015–2016 season. He contributed two tries over the course of the season, helping Mogliano reach the semi-finals for the third season in succession since he joined the club. However, his team was also eliminated at this stage for the third season in a row, losing 10–13 and 17–34 to Rovigo in the two legs of their semi-final play-off matches.{{cite web | url=http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player-zoom-22611-super10-2015-game.html | title=Rugby - Player statistics Halvorsen Thorleif - club stats - Super 10 2015 - Games played | work=It's Rugby | access-date=22 June 2016}}
=SWD Eagles=
In June 2016, Halvorsen returned to South Africa, joining the George, Western Cape-based {{Rut|SWD Eagles}} during the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series. He made his Eagles debut in their Round Ten match against the {{Rut|Border Bulldogs}}, helping them to a 39–22 victory.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=158724 | homeid=30744 | awayid=30854 | leagueid=2824 | hometeam=SWD Eagles | homescore=39 | awayscore=22 | awayteam=Border | matchdate=10 June 2016 | date=22 June 2016}} A week later, he started their match against Namibian side the {{Rut|Welwitschias}} in Windhoek, scoring his first try in an Eagles shirt in the third minute of the match, the first of fourteen tries that the away side scored in a 96–5 victory.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=158784 | homeid=30844 | awayid=30744 | leagueid=2824 | hometeam=Windhoek Draught Welwitschias | homescore=5 | awayscore=96 | awayteam=SWD Eagles | matchdate=18 June 2016 | date=22 June 2016}}
References
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halvorsen, Thor}}
Category:South African rugby union players
Category:Rugby union players from Cape Town
Category:Rugby union number eights
Category:Boland Cavaliers players
Category:Mogliano Rugby players
Category:South African expatriate rugby union players in Italy