Larry Corowa facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Larry Corowa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 5 August 1957 Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia |
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Playing information
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| Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 79 kg (12 st 6 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Larry Corowa MBE (born August 5, 1957) is a famous Indigenous Australian former professional rugby league player. He was born in Murwillumbah, New South Wales. Larry played as a winger in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. He was known for his incredible speed and was nicknamed "The Black Flash."
Larry played for the Balmain Tigers for six seasons, from 1978 to 1983. He also played two games for the Gold Coast Seagulls in 1991. He was a very good try-scorer, often scoring more tries than games he played in a season. Larry also represented his state, New South Wales, and his country, Australia. He was even given an award, the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), in 1980 for his contributions to sport.
Contents
Playing Rugby League
Early Career with Balmain
Larry Corowa started his professional rugby league career with the Balmain Tigers in 1978. In his very first season, he was the top try-scorer in the entire league, scoring 24 tries! This amazing start helped him get selected for the 1978 Kangaroo tour. The Kangaroo tour is when the Australian national team travels to play against other countries.
Playing for Australia
Even though he didn't play a Test match on the 1978 tour, Larry soon made his international debut. He played his first Test match for Australia in 1979 against the Great Britain Lions. Australia won that game 35–0, and Larry scored a try in his very first Test appearance. He played two Test matches in total for Australia. During his time with Balmain, many people thought Larry Corowa was the fastest player in rugby league, not just in Australia but worldwide. He is listed as Kangaroo No. 516 in the Australian Players Register, which means he was the 516th player to represent Australia in rugby league.
Return to the Field
After the 1983 season, Larry retired from playing top-level rugby league. He moved to the Gold Coast and became involved with the Gold Coast Seagulls club. Surprisingly, in 1991, after being retired for eight years, Larry decided to play again! He was 34 years old and played two games for the Seagulls, scoring one more try. This brought his total to 65 tries in 100 professional games before he retired for good.
Life After Playing
Honors and Awards
Larry Corowa has received many honors for his great career. In 2003, he was chosen as one of 19 players for the Balmain Tigers Team of the Century. This is a special team made up of the best players from the club's history.
The Larry Corowa Shield
To honor his legacy, a special award called the Larry Corowa Shield was created. This shield is given to the winner of the pre-season trial match between the Wests Tigers (which Balmain is now part of) and the Gold Coast Titans. The first match for the shield was played in 2008.
Community Involvement
Larry Corowa continues to be very involved in rugby league, especially with Indigenous Rugby League. He has also served as an Australia Day Ambassador, helping to celebrate Australia's national day and inspire others.
