Canada remembers great Hadley

A week to the day of the news of John Cannon’s unexpected passing, Canadian rugby fans got another shock when the word came on Saturday that former captain Norm Hadley had also fallen to an apparent heart attack at the age of 51. Despite winning relatively few senior caps – only 15 between 1987 and 1994 due to professional commitments and a lack of Canadian test matches – the second row was one of Canada’s most renowned players internationally, enjoying a reputation as a hard man on the pitch and a popular character in post-game sessions.

Hadley stood out from the crowd both figuratively and literally – he was a giant of a man at 6’7″ (2.01m) and a fighting weight that increased gradually from 270lbs (123kg) to 290lbs (132kg) over his career. In the days when lifting was still illegal in the lineout, his massive presence and surprising athleticism made him a favorite target in the air and a threat to opposition jumpers.

His career both as a rugby player and professionally as a businessman took him all over the world. He spent time in New Zealand with Western Suburbs before moving to Japan where ‘Stormin’ Norman’ played two seasons with Suntory starting in 1991, and then England where he earned acclaim with Wasps and Bedford Blues. On four occasions between 1992 and 1995 he represented the Barbarians, most notably the first of those against Australia, staring the field with names like England captain Will Carling, Wales and Lions star Scott Gibbs, and world class All Black lock Ian Jones.

Among many stories, one told by legendary England prop Jason Leonard stands out, recounting an incident that occurred when Canada visited Wembley Stadium in 1992.

“One of the England lads got on the wrong side of an early ruck, so Hadley decided to get him out of the way. I took huge exception to Hadley’s method, so I threw one of the biggest punches of my life at him. He was bending down and my punch landed on his forehead. I thought, ‘Well, that’s you sorted.’

“I just had not realised how big he was. He started to stand up, and it went on and on, so I had plenty of time to watch this egg-sized lump growing on his forehead. For my part I had a dislocated finger. When Hadley finally stood up he looked at me and asked, ‘Is that all you’ve got, Princess?’ He spent the rest of the match chasing me around the pitch. Fortunately he never caught me.”

Canada’s finest rugby moment, a quarter-final finish at the 1991 World Cup, coincides with Hadley’s. Though the team was unsuccessful that day, such was the impact of the big man on the game – and the tournament – that he was named to the Team of the Tournament by both Rugby World Magazine and the Sunday Times. Hadley might well have had a similar influence on the 1995 tournament had he not chosen to withdraw from the team following a dispute with Canadian Rugby Union officials, calling a premature end to his international career.

Watch his game highlights from the 1991 World Cup quarter-final below.