Norman "Norm" Hadley was a Canadian professional rugby union player. "Stormin' Norman" was a massive, lock. He played professionally first for London Wasps and then Bedford Blues in the 1990s. In Canada he played for James Bay and UBCOB Ravens. He earned an M.B.A. degree from UBC in 1991. Previously he played for Western Suburbs in Wellington, New Zealand. He played for quarter-finalist Canada in the 1991 Rugby World Cup. In total he earned 15 caps for Canada between 1987 and 1994.
Career
Hadley captained his national side five times in 1992-3, including on 17 October 1992 at Wembley Stadium, a 13-26 loss to England. On that day Hadley eclipsed his English counterparts Wade Dooley and Martin Bayfield, and rallied an understrength Canadian side to a respectable outcome. Many however point to Canada's narrow quarter-final defeat to the New Zealand All Blacks in the 1991 World Cup as Canada's finest hour, where Hadley and a big, tough forward pack clearly had the upper hand over New Zealand. That highly regarded 1991 World Cup Canadian team made a big impact defeating Fiji and Romania and giving both France and New Zealand such a torrid time. Always outspoken, a dispute with national team management saw him not play the 1995 World Cup, where his team desperately needed him in the tough pool that included South Africa and Australia. Following a dominant performance in the 1991 World Cup, he was named to the World Team, and was subsequently chosen to play for the world selection Barbarians against the World Champions Australia at Twickenham in 1992. His locking partner for the Barbarians that day was All Black Ian Jones. He went on to represent the Barbarians another four times. He was named Athlete of the Year in his home town of Victoria, B.C. following the World Cup in 1991. While working in London and playing for Wasps, he gained perhaps his greatest notoriety for roughing up two hooligans on the London Underground, an act which not only earned him praiseworthy column inches in the British broadsheets and tabloids, but even gained him a mention in the House of Commons by then Prime Minister John Major. Already a well-known pundit on BBC TV's Rugby Special live weekly program, offers for more TV appearances followed. Stormin' Norman was later named in Britain's glossy Total Sport Magazine as one of the World's 12 Toughest Sportsmen alongside Lance Armstrong and F1 racer Johnny Herbert.. In Australia's Inside Sport Magazine – "Rugby World Cup 2003 Issue", Aussie Captain and legend John Eales named his Top 5 World Cup "Bolters from the Blue". "Stormin’ Norm Hadley, the impressive Canadian from 1991" was #3 on the list. All Black phenomenon, Jonah Lomu was #1 for his exploits in 1995 and the entire Western Samoa team came in at #2 for their efforts in the 1991 tournament.. Norman has one daughter, Madison Elle Watson. He was the grandson of celebrated Academy Award-winning cinematographer Osmond Borradaile. At the age of 51, after many years of battling depression, chronic pain and suspected Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Hadley ended his life on 19 March 2016. The Tokyo Medical Examiner determined the cause to be an overdose of Pentobarbital. His death was announced on 27 March 2016
