Bill Sorensen

William Sorensen (6 April 1932 – 29 January 1996) was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in the 1954, 1957 and 1960 World Cups.

Playing career

Sorensen was a member of the Ponsonby United Rugby League Club and represented Auckland.^[2]

He played in twenty four tests for the New Zealand national rugby league team, including seven games at the 1954, 1957 and 1960 World Cups. He was selected to go on the 1955–56 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain and France. After the 1957 World Cup Sorensen played for the Rest of the World against Australia.^{[citation needed]}

Sorensen also represented the New Zealand Māori side. In this period, players of other Polynesian backgrounds were also selected for the team.^[3] He retired following the 1960 World Cup.^[4]

In 1963 Sorensen was player-coach for a New South Wales country team.^[5]

Sorensen was the Auckland coach when they competed in the grand slam in 1977, defeating Australia, France and Great Britain in a three-week period.^[6]

Sorensen's brother Dave also played for the Kiwis as did two of his nephews; Dane and Kurt.^[8]

Sorensen died in 1996, leaving behind his widow Olga.

His daughter is Debbie Sorensen a prominent Pacific Health leader ^[6]

Sorensen's grandson is Penrith Panthers and Kiwis forward Scott Sorensen.^[9]

Sorensen was made a life member of the New Zealand Rugby League in 1991.^[7]

He was inducted into the New Zealand Rugby League's "Legends of League" in 2000.^[10]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org.
^ Centenary Test marks first International on home soil Archived 23 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine rleague.com, 22 October 2010
^ John Coffey, Bernie Wood (2008). 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008. Huia Publishers. pp. 137–139. ISBN 978-1-86969-331-2.
^ Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4. p.183.
^ Goodman, Tom (9 June 1963). "Hands off the Kiwis". The Sun-Herald. Australia. p. 44. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
^ ^a ^b Warriors to mark 30th Anniversary of Auckland's unique grand slam Archived 2010-02-11 at the Wayback Machine warriors.co.nz, 19 August 2007
^ ^a ^b Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1991 New Zealand Rugby League, 1991. p.19
^ Coffey and Wood The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League ISBN 1-86971-090-8
^ "Sorensen to continue family dynasty with Kiwis debut". NRL.com. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
^ Legends of League Archived 2012-09-11 at archive.today New Zealand Rugby League