Larry Corowa facts for kids

Larry Corowa, born on August 5, 1957, in Murwillumbah, New South Wales, is a famous Indigenous Australian former professional rugby league player. He played in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s. Larry was a talented winger who represented Australia and the New South Wales state team.

He played club football for the Balmain Tigers for six seasons, from 1978 to 1983. Later, he also played two games for the Gold Coast Seagulls in 1991. Larry was known as one of the best try-scorers of his time. He was even one of the few players to score more than one try per game in a season in Australia. In 1980, he was given the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award for his great contributions to sport.

Playing Career Highlights

Larry Corowa had an amazing start to his rugby league career. In his very first season with the Balmain Tigers in 1978, he was the top try-scorer in the entire league. He scored 24 tries that year!

Representing Australia

Because of his fantastic performance, Larry was chosen to be part of the 1978 Kangaroo tour. This is when the Australian national team travels to play other countries. Although he didn't play in a main "test" match on that tour, he soon made his international debut.

In 1979, Larry played his first test match for Australia. This was during The Ashes series against the Great Britain Lions. The game was held in Brisbane, and Australia won with a score of 35–0. Larry played in the first two games of that series. He even scored a try in his very first test match!

"The Black Flash"

During his time with Balmain, Larry Corowa earned the nickname "The Black Flash." This was because he was considered the fastest player in rugby league. People believed he was the quickest not just in Australia, but in the whole rugby league world! Larry Corowa is officially listed as Kangaroo No. 516 in the Australian Players Register.

Later Career

After the 1983 season, Larry retired from playing in the top league. He moved to the Gold Coast and became involved with the Gold Coast Seagulls team. Then, in 1991, something surprising happened. At 34 years old, after being retired for eight years, he played two more games for the Seagulls. He scored one more try, bringing his total to 65 tries in 100 games. After these two games, he retired from playing for good.

Life After Playing Rugby League

Even after he stopped playing, Larry Corowa remained an important figure in rugby league. In 2003, he was honored as one of the 19 players chosen for the Balmain Tigers Team of the Century. This is a special team made up of the best players from the club's history.

Larry Corowa Shield

There is also a special award named after him called the Larry Corowa Shield. This shield is given to the winner of the pre-season trial match between the Wests Tigers and the Gold Coast Titans. The first match for this shield was played in 2008, and the Titans won it.

Larry continues to be very involved with Indigenous Australian rugby league. He has also served as an Australia Day Ambassador, helping to celebrate Australia Day across the country.