Paul Thorburn
A Welsh fullback whose thunderous right boot launched a record-breaking penalty that instantly entered rugby folklore.
Born 1962 (age 64)·Wales international rugby union player·Birthday: November 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Paul Thorburn's story is intertwined with a single, monumental kick. Born in West Germany to a military family in 1962, he carved his reputation as a formidable, reliable fullback for Neath and Wales in the 1980s. A solid defender and intelligent counter-attacker, he was a fixture in the red jersey. But on a blustery February day in 1986 at Cardiff Arms Park, his career was forever defined. Against Scotland, from a few meters inside his own half, Thorburn lined up a penalty attempt. The distance was an almost ludicrous 70 yards and 8 inches. With a prodigious swing of his right leg, he sent the ball soaring between the posts, setting a new world record for the longest successful penalty in international rugby. The kick was a feat of pure power and technique, a moment of such audacity it left the crowd in stunned silence before erupting. It encapsulated his quiet, unflappable demeanor. While he captained his country and earned 37 caps, it is that one soaring, impossible strike for which he is universally remembered.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Paul was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Paul Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Paul's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Kicked a world-record 70-yard, 8-inch penalty for Wales against Scotland in 1986, a feat still legendary in the sport.
- Earned 37 caps for Wales at fullback between 1985 and 1991.
- Captained the Welsh national team on several occasions during the late 1980s.
- Was a key player for Neath RFC during a highly successful period for the club.
Did You Know?
His record-breaking penalty kick was taken from just outside the Welsh 10-meter line, only a few steps from his own 22.
He was born in Rheindahlen, West Germany, where his father was stationed with the British Army.
After retiring, he served as the team manager for the Wales national squad in the early 2000s.
“The kick was just part of the job; the real work was the preparation.”
