Denan Kemp
Denan Kemp | |
|---|---|
| Born | Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Former professional rugby league player, digital sports content producer, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2000s–2013 (rugby league) |
| Known for | Playing for Brisbane Broncos and New Zealand Warriors; co-founder of The Locker Room podcast; creator of Bloke in a Bar beer brand |
Denan Kemp is a former Australian professional rugby league athlete who competed during the 2000s and 2010s within the National Rugby League (NRL) and has since transitioned into a career as a digital sports content producer. Kemp's NRL tenure included playing for the Brisbane Broncos and the New Zealand Warriors, mainly occupying the position of . In 2011, he briefly ventured into rugby union, representing Southern Districts in the Shute Shield competition.
Following his retirement from professional play, Kemp established a podcast and launched a craft beer enterprise, gaining acclaim as one of the leading online figures in Rugby League media.
Early years
Kemp's education took place at St Michael's College, Merrimac. He developed his rugby league skills with the Brisbane Wests in the Queensland Cup. Subsequently, he joined the Brisbane Broncos’ feeder team, the Toowoomba Clydesdales, where he played on the wing during their 2006 Queensland Cup Grand Final defeat. In 2007, Kemp moved to the Aspley Broncos, another club under Brisbane Broncos management.
Brisbane
Kemp made his first-grade debut for Brisbane in round 10 of the 2007 NRL season facing the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, marking the occasion with an impressive 75-metre try that was ranked third best of that year by NRL.com. The following year, he scored four tries within his initial three matches and appeared in 24 games overall. Notably, in round 12, Kemp crossed for four tries against the Parramatta Eels, equalling the club’s second-highest tally for tries in a single match. This achievement occurred shortly after he had announced his transfer to the New Zealand Warriors for the 2009 season. When not selected for Brisbane’s top-tier squad, Kemp played for the Norths Devils in the Queensland Cup.
In 2008, Kemp finished as Brisbane’s leading try-scorer and was honored with the club’s rookie of the year award.
New Zealand Warriors
On 28 May 2008, Kemp secured a contract with the New Zealand Warriors covering the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Early in 2009, he took on goal-kicking responsibilities. A highlight came in round 2 when Kemp successfully kicked a decisive sideline conversion against Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles with just 28 seconds left on the clock.
Despite these moments, Kemp found it challenging to maintain a regular first-grade position and spent significant time playing for Otahuhu and Auckland Vulcans in the NSW Cup. Toward the end of that season, he sought release from his contract to return to Queensland and focus on reviving his NRL career. Over his time with the Warriors, Kemp appeared in eleven matches and accumulated 46 points. The year 2009 also marked his first inclusion on official NRL trading cards produced by Select and Daily Telegraph.
Second stint with Brisbane
On 16 September 2009, Kemp rejoined the Brisbane Broncos for the 2010 NRL season after being granted an early release from his final contracted year with New Zealand. His opportunities at first grade were curtailed due to injury. In round 1 of 2010 against the North Queensland Cowboys, he scored the match-winning try contributing to a 30-24 victory. He later played with the Wynnum Manly Seagulls during the 2011 Queensland Cup before transitioning to rugby union under contract with the Australian Rugby Union in April of that year.
Rugby union
In April 2011, Kemp signed with the Australian Rugby Union, joining their Australian Sevens squad for participation in the IRB Sevens tournament held in London. During that same year’s season, he also competed with Southern Districts Rugby Club in Sydney’s premier club competition, the Shute Shield.
St George Illawarra
On 20 November 2011, Kemp committed to a one-year contract with the St George Illawarra Dragons for the upcoming 2012 season. He participated in the 2012 Charity Shield match but did not feature in any first-grade NRL fixtures, spending the majority of his playing time with the club’s NSW Cup team, the Illawarra Cutters.
Third stint with Brisbane
Kemp rejoined the Broncos on 18 January 2013, signing a one-year contract in an effort to rejuvenate his professional career. Despite this, he did not make any appearances during the 2013 NRL season and was subsequently released at the conclusion of that year.
Following his retirement from Rugby League in 2013, Kemp has established a notable presence in media through The Locker Room, a well-known Rugby League podcast and Facebook platform launched on 9 June 2015 in partnership with Beau Ryan. Additionally, he created the Australian beer brand Bloke in a Bar, which successfully entered the market during the COVID-19 pandemic period, achieving nationwide sales of 750,000 cans.