Rowan O’Gorman is in his 25th season of premier rugby, and even after notching another remarkable milestone the veteran hooker shows no sign of slowing down.
O’Gorman came off the bench for Marist Albion in their 33-26 win over Lincoln University on Saturday, making his 350th appearance for the club’s division one side.
Now 43, he’s the oldest player in the competition – but says he will keep playing for as long as he can.
“I’ll just keep on playing until I’m done enjoying it or get too injured. The number (of games) is all about how good the boys are going, if the boys don’t need me, then they don’t need me.
“But it’s still fun to be around.”
His 350 appearances since his debut aged 18 in 2000 are not only the most for Marist, but a Metro record as well - one O’Gorman has held since he overtook fellow Marist man Tala Kale’s record of 330 in 2022.
Recovery is key at his age. O’Gorman credits his longevity to “a few beers,” good physios, and regular swims with his sons Eli, 6, and Noah, 9 – both of whom play in Marist’s junior grades.
“Swimming pools are a really good one, that’s quite often the usual, take the kids to swimming lessons on the Sunday or Monday, and go for a swim,” he said.
His boys were on hand for Saturday’s milestone and got the chance to run out with their dad before kick-off.
“It was pretty cool being able to do that with them,” O’Gorman said.
“Noah, the oldest one, he’s right into it. He would’ve been to every game pretty much since he was about three-years-old.
“The younger one (Eli) enjoys playing around in the mud, but I’m not sure how much footy he actually watches.”
Rugby runs deep in the family. O’Gorman’s father Kevin played more than 200 games for Marist, and several of Kevin’s six siblings – and their children – have also represented the club.
Over the years, O’Gorman has won the premier competition three times and held the DCL Shield on 10 occasions, including Marist’s current reign.
He believes there’s a strong chance of more silverware this season.
Marist have been the standout team through the regular season, sitting atop the table with one round to go before the playoffs.
“If we play well, we give ourselves a good opportunity to do that and lock away the DCL as well,” O’Gorman said.
“It’s definitely one of the stronger squads I’ve been involved with.
“A lot of it when it comes down to this end of the season is preparing well, doing your homework and making you’re in the right space when it comes to the Saturday.”
