Vale Norm Provan
Esteemed Member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame
18/12/1932 – 13/10/2021
The Sport Australia Hall of Fame is mourning the passing of esteemed Member Norm Provan (Rugby League) who passed away on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at the age of 88.
Norm “Sticks” Provan played a key role in one of the greatest winning streaks ever achieved in any elite sport in Australia – he played in the first ten of St George’s eleven consecutive premierships between 1956 and 1966.
As a strongly-built second-row forward who was a non drinking fitness disciple, Provan debuted in 1951 and accumulated a club record 256 first grade games, in which he scored 63 tries and 191 points. In a representative career cut short by family and business commitments, he played 19 matches for New South Wales and in 14 Tests for Australia, that included two in World Cups, between 1954 and 1960.
Provan is a St George Life Member and was named in the second row of the Australian Rugby League and NSW Teams of the Century. He was inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame and named on a list of Australia’s 100 greatest players and in 2008 was elevated as the thirteenth Rugby League Immortal.
He was also immortalised by newspaper photographer John O’Gready in the famous photograph of Provan embracing Western Suburbs captain and dual international Arthur Summons, both of them caked in mud at the end of the 1963 Grand Final. The image, known as ‘The Gladiators’, is now perpetuated as the NRL premiership trophy.
SAHOF Chair John Bertrand AO said; “Norm Provan was one of Australia’s greatest. An influence on rugby league and loved by all.
Norm was rugby league’s 13th Immortal, the figurehead of St George’s unprecedented 11-year reign as NSW premiers between 1956 and 1966, member of the NSW Rugby League, Australian Rugby League and Sport Australia Hall of fames while there is the Provan-Summons medal named in his honour.
Norm’s career will arguably never be matched. He played in 10 of St George’s premierships – four of them as captain/coach – in an Australian rugby league record.
We are mourning a great loss and our deepest condolences are with Norm’s family and the entire rugby league community.
A gladiator. An immortal. And deeply missed by all.”
Read Norm Provan’s full biography here.
