Des Thornton joined the Singapore Rugby Union in September 2010 as the Technical Director of Rugby.

Des has a background in education having worked in the University sector for eighteen years both as an academic and ultimately as a Chief Information Officer. He is an accredited Australian Rugby Union L3 coach and successfully coached the Western Australian for six years winning the Telstra Australian Rugby Shield, the highest level of amateur Rugby in Australia, on a number of occasions. He has also coached at junior, first XV in schools and at senior club level over a period of some forty years.