Gary Thornton
English RL coach & former professional rugby league footballer
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Gary Thornton is an English rugby league coach, and currently head coach of Rochdale Hornets. He has previously coached at Hunslet RLFC and Castleford Tigers[3] U20s academy side from 2009 to 2012.
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Gary Thornton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 9 March 1963 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 8 March 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
in September 2022, he was announced as head-coach of Rochdale Hornets.
He was inducted into the Batley Bulldogs Hall of Fame in November 2025 having a 16 year association with the club as player, assistant coach and Head Coach.
Playing career
As a player, he spent 4 seasons at Wakefield Trinity before joining Batley in 1990, after initially having a loan spell at 'The Mount' in the 1988–89 season. He went on to make 215 appearances for the club scoring 79 tries.
Coaching career
Gary spent five and a half years as head coach at Batley from October 2003-April 2009(the longest serving Championship coach at the time), and also spent time as U21s coach at Wakefield Trinity.[4]
Gary was Head Coach at York between 2012 and 2014, and Doncaster R.L.F.C. from June 2015 to May 2017.[5]
Has won the coach of the year award in respective Championship divisions:
- 2006 – National League 1 (Now the Championship) Coach of the Year – Batley
- 2014 – Championship 1 Coach of the Year – York