Kurt Sorensen
Kurt John Sorensen[1] is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer of the 1970s, 80s and 90s. He is the brother of fellow Kiwi international, Dane Sorensen, and the nephew of another pair of Kiwi brothers, Bill and Dave Sorensen.[2] He is of Tongan and Danish descent.[3]
Playing career
While playing in the Auckland Rugby League competition, Sorensen made his debut for the New Zealand national rugby league team in the 1975 World Cup. The following year, while playing for Mt Wellington, he won the Auckland Rugby League's Rothville Trophy, which is awarded to the Premier One player of the year as chosen by the Auckland Coach. Sorensen then moved to England to play for Wigan for the 1976-77 season. He later played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Eastern Suburbs Roosters and England's Widnes RFC.
While at Widnes Sorensen played in 252 games and captained the side that won the championship, the premiership and the 1989 World Club Challenge. He also played in the Widnes side that lost the Challenge Cup. In 1986, after returning from the English season, Sorensen made some cameo appearances for the Northcote Tigers in the Auckland Rugby League competition.[4] During the 1989–90 Rugby Football League season, Sorensen captained defending champions Widnes at second-row forward in their 1989 World Club Challenge victory against the visiting Canberra Raiders. Kurt Sorensen played Left-Prop, i.e. number 8, in Widnes' 24-18 victory over Salford in the 1990 Lancashire Cup final during the 1990–91 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 29 September 1990.
After leaving Widnes, Sorensen was the player-coach at Whitehaven before controversially joining rivals Workington Town in 1995. He resigned a year later before resuming his playing career with Chorley in England and Cudgen on the Gold Coast.[2]
Legacy
In 2000 Sorensen was inducted as one of the NZRL's Legends of League.[5]
References
External links