Norm Hadley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Norm Hadley

Norm Hadley lines up in World Cup action
Date of birth	(1964-12-02)2 December 1964
Place of birth	Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Date of death	26 March 2016(2016-03-26) (aged 51)
Place of death	Tokyo, Japan
Height	2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Weight	130 kg (287 lb; 20 st 7 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) - - 1991-1992 London Wasps Bedford Blues Suntory () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1987-1994 Canada 15 (0)

Norman Hadley (December 2, 1964 – March 26, 2016) was a well-known Canadian rugby union player. People often called him "Stormin' Norman." He was a very tall player, standing at 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) (2.01 meters). He played as a lock, a position for strong, tall players.

Norman Hadley played professionally for teams like London Wasps and Bedford Blues in the 1990s. In Canada, he played for James Bay and UBCOB Ravens. He also played for Western Suburbs in New Zealand. He earned an M.B.A. degree from the UBC in 1991.

Norman Hadley's Rugby Journey

Norman Hadley played 15 games for the Canadian national team between 1987 and 1994. He was a key part of the team that reached the quarter-finals of the 1991 Rugby World Cup. This was a huge achievement for Canadian rugby.

Leading the Canadian Team

Hadley was the captain of the Canadian national team five times in 1992 and 1993. One memorable game was on October 17, 1992, at Wembley Stadium. Canada played against England and, even though they lost, Hadley helped his team play very well.

Many people remember Canada's close game against the New Zealand All Blacks in the 1991 World Cup. Hadley and the Canadian forwards played incredibly well. They were very strong against the New Zealand team.

Impact at the 1991 World Cup

The 1991 Canadian team was highly respected. They won against Fiji and Romania. They also gave tough games to strong teams like France and New Zealand. Norman Hadley's strong play was a big reason for their success.

After his great performance in the 1991 World Cup, Norman Hadley was chosen for the World Team. This team is picked by Rugby World magazine. He was also asked to play for the Barbarians, a famous invitational rugby club.

He played for the Barbarians against Australia, the World Cup winners, at Twickenham Stadium in 1992. He played alongside famous players like Ian Jones from New Zealand. Hadley played for the Barbarians four more times. In 1991, he was named Athlete of the Year in his hometown of Victoria, British Columbia.

Life Beyond the Field

While playing rugby in London for Wasps, Norman Hadley became quite famous for an incident on the London Underground. He helped deal with two troublemakers. This act was praised in British newspapers.

It even got a mention in the House of Commons by the Prime Minister at the time, John Major. Hadley was already a well-known rugby expert on BBC TV's Rugby Special show. After this event, he received even more offers for TV appearances.

Norman Hadley had one daughter named Madison Elle Watson. His grandfather was Osmond Borradaile, a famous cinematographer who won an Academy Award.

Norman Hadley passed away on March 26, 2016, at the age of 51.