Colin van der Voort
A tough-as-nails Penrith Panthers forward whose relentless work in the engine room was crucial to delivering the club's first-ever premiership.
Born 1965 (age 61)·Australian rugby league footballer·Birthday: July 13·Generation X
Biography
In the hard-nosed world of 1980s rugby league, Colin van der Voort was the player every team needed and opponents dreaded. The Australian forward spent his entire top-flight career with the Penrith Panthers, debuting in 1986 as the club was shedding its also-ran status. Van der Voort wasn't the flashy star; he was the grit. Playing in the front row, he made his living through punishing tackles, relentless hit-ups, and creating space for his more celebrated teammates. His career crescendo came in the 1991 NSWRL Grand Final, where his unyielding performance in the pack was instrumental in the Panthers' historic first premiership victory over Canberra. While injuries eventually curtailed his time on the field, his name remains etched in Penrith folklore as a cornerstone of the team that finally climbed the mountain.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Colin was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Colin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Colin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played his entire first-grade career for the Penrith Panthers from 1986 to 1994.
- Was a key member of the Penrith Panthers' first-ever premiership-winning team in the 1991 NSWRL season.
- Made over 150 appearances for the Panthers during the club's rise to prominence.
Did You Know?
He was known by the nickname 'Voota' or 'Voorty.'
His son, Liam, also became a professional rugby league player.
He played alongside Penrith legends like Greg Alexander and Brad Fittler during the 1991 championship season.
“You don't get remembered for the easy ones, you get remembered for the tough carries.”
