Bill Rorke

Soccer player
Inducted 26 November 2008

Bill Rorke was born in Cessnock in 1945, and grew up in Kearsley. Bill played soccer from a young age, playing for the juniors at Aberdare and Kearsley.

In 1963, he moved to Sydney where he played first grade soccer for Bankstown.

In 1964, Bill first represented NSW, and at the age of 20 he made his debut for Australia as goalkeeper, when the team was attempting to qualify for its first soccer World Cup (the tournament held in 1966). Although Australia did not reach those finals it was victorious in the south-east Asian tour held later in 1965, with Rorke recognised as Australia’s number one goalkeeper.

Bill then signed with Leichhardt where he played in the Sydney first division. In 1966, Bill was a member of the teams that won the Premiership, the Ampol Cup, the Sydney Federation Cup and the Grand Final.

Throughout his career, Bill represented Australia in a total of nine internationals against teams such as Roma and Scotland before he retired in 1973.

Bill made his mark in business, when, in 2003, he established Pro-tech Corp a national company which supplies and installs synthetic golf putting greens, lawns and a variety of other sport surfaces for a range of residential, commercial and government purposes.

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Plaque location

Kearsley Community Hall, 22 Allandale Rd Kearsley