| Neville Thornton | |
| Birth Name: | Neville Henry Thornton |
| Birth Date: | 12 December 1918 |
| Birth Place: | Ōtāhuhu, New Zealand |
| Death Place: | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Ru Position: | Number 8 |
| Height: | 1.860NaN0 |
| Weight: | 93kg (205lb) |
| Ru Nationalyears: | 1947–49 |
| Ru Nationalcaps: | 3 |
| Ru Nationalpoints: | (3) |
| Ru Province: | King Country Auckland |
| Ru Provinceyears: | 1940 1947–48 |
| Ru Provincecaps: | 3 11 |
| Occupation: | School principal |
| School: | Otahuhu College |
Neville Henry Thornton (12 December 1918 – 12 September 1998) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A number eight, Thornton represented King Country and Auckland at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1947 and 1949. He played 19 matches for the All Blacks including three internationals.[1]
During World War II, Thornton served with the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF), and in February 1945 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the New Zealand Infantry.[2] Following the end of the war, he toured Britain and France with the NZEF rugby team, known as the "Kiwis", playing in 18 matches and scoring nine tries.[1] After returning to New Zealand, Thornton studied at Auckland University College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1951 and a Master of Arts in 1959.[3] A schoolteacher, Thornton was principal of Rotorua Boys' High School from 1960 to 1962, and then Papakura High School until 1977.[1]