3 Famous Rugby Players You Didn't Know Were Adopted

We bet the biological parents of these adopted athletes would be very proud! This list of three rugby players who were adopted features some amazing stories of love and loss.

What does every single one of these famous rugby players who were adopted prove? That you don’t need a perfect life/background to make it in rugby.

Moore built a reputation as one of the hardest players of the amateur era, the snarling 'Pitbull' packing down as England's hooker in 64 Tests.

The prop was born to single mother Rina Kirk in Birmingham Abandoned by his father, his mother gave him up for adoption at 7 months old to Methodist lay preachers Ralph and Dorothy Moore, who moved to Halifax, West Yorkshire, where he'd play his first rugby.

In 2009 Moore revealed in his autobiography Beware of the Dog that he had been sexually abused as a child by a churchgoing friend of his parents and also his struggle to come to terms with his abandonment by his birth mother. His book would go on to win the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2010.

He has since met his birth mother and discovered he has two blood siblings. Moore, however, has no intention of meeting his father after he discovered he had children with multiple women.

Following his retirement from playing Moore began a successful career as a journalist and pundit, working extensively with the BBC and writing a column in The Daily Telegraph.

Thorne, who won 10 caps for the All Blacks between 1967 and 1960, was adopted at birth in an adoption privately arranged by his grandfather. He described learning of his adoption at age 21 as "a devastating experience."

Thorne's family life was beset by tragedy. His son David had a spinal injury and stroke following a hard rugby tackle in a club rugby game in Nelson in 2006, and underwent long recuperation at Burwood Hospital. The care of his son distracted Thorne from his local government duties and he was criticised for refusing to resign.

Another son, Bruce, died when his four-wheel drive vehicle overturned near Bloemfontein in South Africa in December 2009.

Brown was born in Eton, Berks., in 1973, he was adopted a few weeks later by Brian and Ruth Brown who took him to Northamptonshire.

After leaving school aged 17 he joined the Royal Marines as a musician, serving for 13 years. During this time he was based at RAF Northolt, Deal, London, Bristol and Portsmouth.

When he left the military he became a professional rugby player. He played as a winger/fullback for nine years, with six of these being in the English Premiership for Richmond RFC and Bristol RFC. Brown has also represented the Royal Navy and Combined Services rugby teams.

Brown was a member of the England Elite squad between 1998 and 2001 during which time he represented England at the World Sevens in Paris, England 'A' team during three seasons, and won two full England caps against Australia and South Africa in 1998.

The 45-year-old, who had been searching for his mother and sister for 26 years, said finally meeting them was better than playing for his country in 1998.

Brown's mother Maureen didn't want to appear on camera, but the show captured his meeting with his sister Margot, 46, who was also taken away from their mother and placed with her adoptive family.

Speaking of their reunion, Brown said: 'It was incredible, it was like we'd never been apart. I'd say to date it was the best day of my life.

'Even representing England, singing the national anthem, in front of 50,000 people, it doesn't top that. I felt completely different. It filled some of the void that was there.'