Widnes Vikings legend Kurt Sorensen gets new kit preview

11:37am Wednesday 19th November 2008

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WIDNES legend Kurt Sorensen - the forward who captained the club to their greatest ever triumph when they became the first British team to win the Rugby League’s World Club Championship - has been given a special preview of the Vikings’ new-look kit for the 2009 Co-operative National League season.

Vikings’ chairman Steve O’Connor - in Australia on a Rugby League World Cup fact-finding tour - caught up with the former New Zealand international following England’s semi-final clash against the Kiwis. Steve arranged to meet Kurt in Sydney, and organised for the new Vikings’ team strip to be flown out especially so that Kurt could try it for size ahead of the official launch back in Widnes next month.

Steve said: “Kurt Sorensen is a hero to all Widnes fans and was captain of the team during our finest-ever hour when we beat Canberra Raiders in 1989 to win the World Club Championship. It’s our most treasured memory and, while over here for the World Cup, I was determined to meet the great man personally and mark the occasion on behalf of all our fans.

“I’m hoping to bring home autographed shirts that might be auctioned during the new season to help raise funds at commemorative dinners. Kurt was certainly very impressed by the style of the new kits – particularly the electric yellow colour of the away strip!”

Vikings’ head coach Steve McCormack, in charge of Scotland’s World Cup campaign Down Under, said: “It was brilliant to have an opportunity of meeting up with Kurt who is without doubt one of the great Widnes legends. He led the Widnes team to many great cup wins but that glorious victory in the World Club Championship is a night our supporters will never ever forget. It’s the kind of achievement that our young players today need to aspire to.”

The new kits - white and black for home games and electric yellow and black for away fixtures - have been designed by leading Dublin-based sportswear suppliers, O’Neills.

Priced at £39.99 for adults and £29.99 children, they will be officially launched at an event at Stobart Stadium Halton on Tuesday, December 9 where replica shirts and other merchandise will be available. Fans will be able to purchase goods on line and further details will be announced by the club shortly.

Vikings’ chief executive Alex Bonney said: “The new kit looks really fantastic and we are sure that our fans are going to be delighted by both shirts which look really outstanding. We hope the new kits will be snapped up as quickly as the sales of early-bird season tickets which proved to be such a great success.”

In a distinguished eight-year spell at Widnes from 1985 to 1993 Kurt Sorensen made 252 appearances and scored 40 tries. Following his playing career he went on to coach at both Workington and Whitehaven and now resides on Australia’s Gold Coast.