South Sydney Rabbitohs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
 South Sydney Rabbitohs 

Club information
Full name	South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)	Official Rabbitohs, Souths Colloquial Bunnies, Rabbits, The Red and Green, The Cardinal and Myrtle, The Pride of the League
Website	rabbitohs.com.au
Colours	Red      Green
Founded	17 January 1908; 117 years ago (1908-01-17)
Current details
Ground(s)	Stadium Australia (84,000)
CEO	Blake Solly
Chairman	Nick Pappas
Coach	Wayne Bennett
Captain	Cameron Murray
2024 season	16th
Uniforms
Home colours Away colours
Records
Premierships	21 (1908, 1909, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 2014)
Runners-up	14 (1910, 1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1949, 1952, 1965, 1969, 2021)
Minor premiership	17 (1908, 1909, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1932, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1989)
Wooden spoons	8 (1945, 1946, 1962, 1975, 1990, 2003, 2004, 2006)
Most capped	336 - John Sutton
Highest points scorer	1,896 - Adam Reynolds

The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional rugby league team from Sydney, Australia. They are based in Redfern and play in the National Rugby League (NRL). People often call them Souths or the Bunnies.

The club started in 1908. It was one of the first teams in the New South Wales Rugby Football League. This makes them one of Australia's oldest rugby league teams. Only the Sydney Roosters are also still in the NRL from those early days.

The Rabbitohs' home area is in inner-south Sydney. Their main office and training facilities are in Redfern. The team plays its home games at Stadium Australia in Sydney Olympic Park. South Sydney is the most successful team in Australian rugby league history. They have won twenty-one top-level championships!

Club History

How the Rabbitohs Started

The South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club began on January 17, 1908. A big meeting was held at Redfern Town Hall. Important people like J. J. Giltinan, Victor Trumper, and Henry Hoyle were there.

The club played its first game in the new New South Wales Rugby League. They beat North Sydney 11–7 on April 20, 1908. The team won the first championship that year. They also won again in the 1909 season.

Arthur Hennessy was very important in starting the club. He was Souths' first captain and coach. He also captained New South Wales and Australia in 1908. S. G. "George" Ball became the Club Secretary in 1911. He worked for the club for over 50 years!

Early Success (1908–1948)

South Sydney won more championships in 1914 and 1918. They were very strong from 1925 to 1932. They won seven out of eight championships during this time.

In 1925, the team went through the whole season without losing a single game. This has only happened six times in Australian rugby league history. Souths were so good back then that they were called "The Pride of the League."

The team had a tough time between 1940 and 1948. They had their longest losing streak from 1945 to 1947. In 1946, they didn't win any games at all.

The Golden Era of the 1950s

Starting in 1949, South Sydney had a lot of success. They won five championships from 1950 to 1955. They also played in the Grand Final in 1949 and 1952.

In 1951, Souths scored 42 points in their Grand Final win against Manly-Warringah. This is still the highest score in a Grand Final! In 1955, they won 11 straight sudden-death games to win the championship.

Famous players from this time include Denis Donoghue, Jack Rayner, and Clive Churchill. Churchill was known as "the Little Master" and is one of Australia's best rugby league players ever.

After the 1950s, Souths had a difficult period. They didn't make the finals from 1958 to 1964. They even finished last in 1962.

More Championship Wins (1965–1971)

In 1965, a young Souths team played in the Grand Final. They faced St. George, who were trying to win their tenth championship in a row. Souths lost 12–8 in front of a huge crowd.

Many players from this team became Australian representatives. They helped South Sydney have another great period. The team reached five Grand Finals in a row from 1967 to 1971, winning four of them.

Key players included Bob McCarthy, John O'Neill, Eric Simms, and Ron Coote. In the 1970 Grand Final, captain John Sattler played 70 minutes with a broken jaw. This amazing effort helped his team win!

Challenges and Exclusion (1972–1999)

Souths faced financial problems in the 1970s. Some players had to leave the club. The club's Leagues Club closed in 1973, but a "Save Our Souths" campaign helped them survive.

The team made the finals five times in the 1980s. In 1989, they finished first in the regular season. This was their best season in years. However, the next year, they finished last.

In the 1990s, the club still had money problems. In 1994, they won a pre-season competition. But the Super League War caused big changes. The new National Rugby League (NRL) decided to have fewer teams.

South Sydney was not chosen to be in the NRL for the 2000 season. This meant they were out of the competition.

The Fight to Return

In 2000 and 2001, South Sydney fought hard to get back into the competition. They went to court against the NRL. Many people supported Souths, and big rallies were held. Fans from other clubs also joined in to help.

In 2001, South Sydney won their appeal. They were allowed back into the NRL for the 2002 season.

Back in the NRL (2002–Present)

After returning, South Sydney had a tough start. They finished near the bottom of the ladder for five seasons. They finished last three times.

In 2006, actor Russell Crowe and businessman Peter Holmes à Court took over the club. In the 2007 season, South Sydney made the finals for the first time since 1989!

In 2008, the club celebrated its 100th year. The National Trust called them a 'Community Icon'. This was for their long history in Australian sport.

Winning a Premiership Again

Players like Sam Burgess and Greg Inglis joined the team in the early 2010s. This helped South Sydney reach the finals. In 2011, Michael Maguire became the new coach.

After losing in the preliminary finals in 2012 and 2013, Souths made it to the Grand Final in 2014. It was their first Grand Final since 1971!

In the 2014 Grand Final, Souths beat Canterbury 30–6. This was their first championship win in 43 years! Sam Burgess won the Clive Churchill medal for being the best player. He played the whole game with a broken cheekbone.

After their win, the team received the Keys to the City of Randwick and Sydney. In 2014, James Packer bought a share of the club.

Souths made the preliminary finals for five years in a row from 2018 to 2022. In 2021, they reached the Grand Final again. They played against Penrith but lost a very close game, 14–12.

In 2022, Atlassian founder Mike Cannon-Brookes became a part-owner of the club. He joined Russell Crowe and James Packer. These three own 75% of the Rabbitohs. Fans own the other 25%.

In 2023, Souths started strong but finished 9th and missed the finals. In 2024, they finished 16th.

Club Symbols

The Rabbitoh Emblem

The club's mascot is the rabbitoh. This was a old word for people who sold rabbits at markets. They would shout "rabbit-oh!" to get buyers. The club is also called the Rabbits or Bunnies.

No one is completely sure how South Sydney got the name. One story says that some players sold rabbits on Saturdays. Their jerseys would get rabbit blood on them. When they played, opponents would make fun of them by shouting "Rabbitoh!"

Another idea is that opponents called their home ground "rabbit 'oles" because it was bumpy. A third story says the name came from early Australian rugby union teams called "Rabbits."

The "Rabbitoh" emblem, a running white rabbit, first appeared on the jersey in 1959. It has been on every player's jersey since then. The old 1960s and 1970s rabbit design is now on the current jersey.

For their 100th year in 2008, the club used a special centenary emblem. They also changed the logo to a solid white rabbit with "South Sydney Rabbitohs" written in capital letters.

Team Colours

South Sydney has almost always used cardinal red and myrtle green colours. Before the rugby league club started in 1908, the South Sydney rugby union team wore red and green hoops.

Some people think these colours came from the "Redfern Waratahs" nickname. The waratah flower is red and green. However, the suburb of Redfern was named after a doctor, William Redfern.

The club's jersey has mostly been a hooped design with red and green stripes. In 1945 and 1946, they wore a green jersey with a red "V". Then they went back to the hoops.

From 1980 to 1984, they wore a "Minties" jersey. It had white hoops on a green design with a red stripe.

Later, they started using "away" jerseys. These were first white, then black for the 2006 season. Since 2007, the away jersey looks like the home jersey, but with different sponsors and a white rabbit emblem. For 2009, the home rabbit emblem was black.

The team's shorts were usually black. In the late 1970s, they wore green shorts with a red stripe. Then they wore white shorts with the "Minties" jersey. Now, they mostly wear black shorts again. In 2008, they wore white shorts to match the jersey's white stripe.

• South Sydney Rabbitohs – Jerseys
• 

  1908

• 

  1909–1944, 1947–1958

• 

  1945–1946

• 

  1959–1964

• 

  1965–1974

• 

  1975–1976

• 

  1977–1979

• 

  1980–1984

• 

  1985–1993

• 

  1994–1996

• 

  1997–1999

Where the Club is From

The South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club was created to represent several areas in Sydney. These included Alexandria, Botany, Mascot, Waterloo, Redfern, and Darlington. It also represents parts of eastern Sydney like Coogee and Maroubra.

Souths are proud of their many Indigenous players. These players come from local clubs like La Perouse United and Redfern All Blacks.

Home Stadiums

In the early years, South Sydney played many games at the Royal Agricultural Society Ground (Sydney Showground). This was from 1908 to 1920. They also used the Sydney Sports Ground a lot. In 1948, they moved to Redfern Oval, which was in the heart of their area.

In 1988, the club started playing at the Sydney Football Stadium. They played there until 2005. The club then moved to Stadium Australia in Sydney Olympic Park. Fans were not very happy about this move. However, it brought more money to the club. In 2008, they agreed to play home games at Stadium Australia for 10 more years.

In 2008, Sydney City Council upgraded Redfern Oval. Since 2009, the Rabbitohs use Redfern Oval for training. They also play pre-season games there.

In 2023, the Rabbitohs moved their main office and training to the Heffron Centre in Maroubra. This new center has great facilities for all their teams.

Club Supporters

The South Sydney Rabbitohs have many supporters in their traditional areas. They also have fans all over New South Wales. The official fan group is called "The Burrow."

South Sydney once had the most members in the NRL. In 2015, they had over 35,000 members. More than 11,000 of these were ticketed members. This was the highest for any Sydney NRL club.

In 2010, Souths and St. George Illawarra both had over 10,000 ticketed members. This was a first for two Sydney clubs. The club has members from every Australian state and 22 other countries.

"Group 14" is a group of club supporters. It includes business people, politicians, and famous people. They helped South Sydney get back into the NRL in 2002. In 1999, 40,000 people went to a rally in Sydney to support Souths. In 2000 and 2001, over 80,000 people marched in Sydney for the Rabbitohs.

In 2007, Souths set a new record for home game attendance. The average crowd was 15,702. In 2023, Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, became the club's number one ticket-holder. He is a lifelong South Sydney fan.

Reggie the Rabbit

Reggie the Rabbit is the Rabbitohs' mascot. The first life-size Reggie appeared in 1968. A famous fan, Don Lane, brought the costume from the US. He got it ready for the 1968 Grand Final.

One famous Reggie was the club's groundsman, Reg Fridd. He was very short. The Rabbitohs found him in a touring show of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Most NRL teams have mascots. Charlie Gallico has been Reggie Rabbit since 2002.

Club Culture and Traditions

In 1999, Russell Crowe bought the club's original foundation bell. He bought it at a special club event.

Team Songs

Glory, Glory to South Sydney

This is the club's most famous song. It plays when the team runs out for home games and after wins. It was first recorded in 1967. "Glory, Glory to South Sydney" is one of the best-known NRL team songs.

The song uses the tune of "Battle Hymn of the Republic." It came out when Souths were having a great period. They won many championships around this time.

The song was very important when Souths were out of the NRL in 2000 and 2001. In 2004, Allan Caswell wrote a new version. Today, the original 1967 version is used. It was played at the 2014 and 2021 Grand Finals.

1967 Lyrics

South Sydney marches on! Chorus: Glory, Glory to South Sydney Glory, Glory to South Sydney Glory, Glory to South Sydney South Sydney marches on When speaking of the champions, one stands above the rest Of glories old and records proud, when often put to test Of fine traditions, history, that others cannot best They wear the Red and Green Chorus They mauled the Balmain Tigers Slew the Dragons from St. George The Seagulls and the Mounties next Were crushed by mighty force They humbled Parramatta And the Berries in due course They wear the Red and Green Chorus They plucked the Western Magpies Slashed the Newtown bag of blue The Eastern Suburbs Rooster crowed And then was conquered too The greatest name in any game Within South Sydney grew They wear the Red and Green Chorus x2 South Sydney marches on!

Victory Song

The Rabbitohs' victory song is also called the "player's song." It is very old, possibly from before World War II. Its popularity grew with club legend John Sattler. He sang it often, especially around the 2014 and 2021 Grand Finals.

The lyrics have changed a bit over time. Players now usually sing only the first part after a win. The main tune is based on "The Stars and Stripes Forever."

Current lyrics
And now that we're all around the bar And the Captain's declared it a quorum We are drinking our way through the night And we're having the time of our lives Throw the empties away, start again! Start again! For the boys of South Sydney are together And we'll drink 'til the dawn breaks again! May the sessions of South Sydney last forever Up the Rabbitohs!

Botany Road

The Burrow (supporters' group) started singing a chant to the tune of Take Me Home, Country Roads. They usually sing it when Souths are about to win a game.

Flags and scarves with "Botany Road" are common among Souths fans. This refers to the road that goes through the club's main area.

This song is now a big part of being a Rabbitohs fan. It's especially popular during rivalry games and finals. Fans often start singing it slowly without music. Then they speed up and clap as the game ends.

Lyrics
Take me home, Botany Road To the place I belong Back to Redfern, South Sydney Take me home, Botany Road!

Other Club Songs

The Burrow has many other chants. These include "South Sydney 'Til I Die" and songs for specific players. They also sing their own version of "Under the Southern Cross I Stand" after wins.

During the club's time out of the NRL, many supporters wrote songs. These songs helped raise awareness and money. Allan Caswell wrote "Souths Can Stand Alone." It said that if South Sydney was removed, rugby league would suffer.

One famous song is "The Day John Sattler Broke His Jaw" by Perry Keyes. It tells the story of John Sattler's brave effort in the 1970 Grand Final. It also talks about life in Sydney in the 1970s.

Before games, Souths often play hype music. Past songs include "Cochise" and "Kryptonite." These are often mixed with the "South Sydney" chant before the players come out.

Kit Sponsors and Manufacturers

Year	Kit manufacturer	Main shirt sponsor	Back sponsors	Sleeve sponsors	Shorts sponsors
1977–1978	Classic Sportswear	VIP Insurance	—	—	—
1978–1980		KLG Sparkplugs
1981–1983		100 Pipers Scotch
1984–1985		Ignis Refrigerators
1986–1991		Smith's Crisps
1992–1994		Northwest Airlines		Amiga Computers
1995–1997		Canon		Canon
1998		— Proposed: Souths Juniors (rejected by NRL)		—
1999		Downtown Duty Free		RSL COM
2002	International Sports Clothing	TV Week		Arrive Alive
2003		Allight			Linddales Personnel
2004					Linddales Personnel Hopeshore
2005		Real Insurance/Cinderella Man (select fixtures)	Real Insurance		Linddales Personnel Westpoint
2006		Real Insurance	Real Insurance/Glen Alpine Properties		BBX Bettaplex
2007		Firepower (home)/High Concept (away) Placement alternated on back/sleeves			Virgin Blue
2008		National Australia Bank (home)/De'Longhi (away) Placement alternated on back		Trivest
2009–2010				State of Play (film)
2011		Star City (home)/De'Longhi (away) Placement alternated on back		V8 Supercars	Kenwood
2012–2013		Star City/The Star (home)/De'Longhi (away) Placement alternated on back AFEX (sternum)		Kenwood	Alcatel One Touch
2014		Crown Resorts/Fujitsu		Fujitsu
2015–2017				Crown Resorts
2018		Fujitsu/Crown Resorts		Fujitsu	PlayUp
2019		Aqualand/Alcatel Zoom (sternum)	Safe2Pay TCL/Aqualand	—
2020			Safe2Pay(R1-2)/Wotif(R3-) TCL/Aqualand	Crown Resorts	MenulogHostplus
2021	Classic Sportswear	Aqualand/TCL Zoom (sternum)	Menulog/TCL(Home)/Aqualand(Away)		Ingenia Holiday Parks
2022		MG Motor/Wotif (sternum)	Menulog/Aqualand
2023
2024				Ingenia Holiday Parks

Club Rivalries

A book called The Book of Feuds was written about the Rabbitohs' rivalries. Russell Crowe wanted it as a way to motivate the team. It was later sold to the public.

Main Rivalry: Sydney Roosters

The Sydney Roosters are South Sydney's biggest rivals. They are the only other original club still in the NRL. South Sydney was seen as a working-class club. The Roosters were seen as supported by wealthier people.

South Sydney and the Roosters share the same inner-Sydney area. This has created a strong rivalry since 1908. Their games are the oldest "local derby" in the competition. The rivalry grew stronger over the years.

In 2022, South Sydney wanted to move their home games to the new Sydney Football Stadium. The Roosters CEO, Nick Politis, said it was "their home." He said the Roosters had been there since 1928. However, South Sydney had used the Sydney Sports Ground before the Roosters. Both clubs often shared the venue for 30 years.

In a 2022 final between the two teams, seven players were sent off the field. This was a record for an NRL game.

To celebrate this rivalry, South Sydney and the Sydney Roosters play for the Ron Coote Cup every year.

Major Rivalries

St George Dragons and St George Illawarra Dragons – South Sydney has a long rivalry with St. George. They play for the Charity Shield every year. This used to be against the original St. George Dragons. Now it's against the combined St. George Illawarra team.

South Sydney and St. George played in many Grand Finals. They had many tough games. In 2001, South Sydney legend George Piggins said the Charity Shield would not return. This was because St. George had opposed Souths rejoining the NRL.

Balmain Tigers – South Sydney had a fierce rivalry with Balmain from 1908 to 1999. In 1909, both teams agreed to boycott the final. But Souths showed up and were given the championship win.

South Sydney and Balmain met in the 1916 final, which Balmain won. In 1924, they played in the lowest-scoring Grand Final ever. Balmain won 3-0. In 1939, Balmain won another Grand Final against Souths. The rivalry was also strong in the 1969 NSWRFL season.

Minor Rivalries

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles – South Sydney first played Manly-Warringah in the 1951 NSWRFL season Grand Final. South Sydney won 42-14. This is still the highest-scoring Grand Final in history. Souths also beat Manly in the 1968 and 1970 Grand Finals.

Since 1970, Manly has bought many of Souths' star players. These include John O'Neill and Ian Roberts.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs – This rivalry grew stronger in 2014 and 2015. It followed the 2014 NRL Grand Final and a controversial Good Friday match. South Sydney and Canterbury-Bankstown play for the Good Friday Cup every year.

Players

Current Squad

Notable Players

The Magnificent XIII (2002)

In 2002, when the Rabbitohs returned to the NRL, a special team was chosen. It was called The Magnificent XIII. This team had 17 great South Sydney players from 1908 to 2002. Rugby league writers and former players picked the team.

South Sydney Rabbitohs – The Magnificent XIII

Starting XIII						Reserves		Coaching staff
1 Clive Churchill (c) – FB  2 Harold Horder – WG  3 Ray Branighan – CE  4 Paul Sait – CE  5 Ian Moir – WG  6 Alf Blair – FE  7 Bob Grant – HB  8 John Sattler – PR  9 George Piggins – HK 10 John O'Neill – PR 11 Jack Rayner – SR 12 Bob McCarthy – SR 13 Ron Coote – LK						14 Terry Fahey 15 Ziggy Niszczot 16 Elwyn Walters 17 George Treweek		Head coach Bernie Purcell Legend: (c) Captain(s) (vc) Vice captain(s)

Dream Team (2004)

The Rabbitohs announced their "Dream Team" on July 29, 2004. This team had 17 players and a coach. They represented the club from 1908 to 2004. Rugby league experts, historians, and fans helped choose this team.

South Sydney Rabbitohs – Dream Team 2004

Starting XIII						Reserves		Coaching staff
1 Clive Churchill – FB  2 Harold Horder – WG  3 Herb Gilbert – CE  4 Paul Sait – CE  5 Ian Moir – WG  6 Jimmy Lisle – FE  7 Bob Grant – HB  8 John Sattler (c) – PR  9 Elwyn Walters – HK 10 John O'Neill – PR 11 George Treweek – SR 12 Bob McCarthy – SR 13 Ron Coote – LK						14 Greg Hawick 15 Ray Branighan 16 Ian Roberts 17 Les Cowie		Head coach Jack Rayner Legend: (c) Captain(s) (vc) Vice captain(s)

Season Summaries

NSWRFL (1908-1994)

Season	Ladder position	Result
1908	1st	Premiers
1909	1st	Premiers
1910	2nd	Runner-up
1911	3rd	Finals
1912	4th
1913	3rd
1914	1st	Premiers
1915	4th
1916	2nd	Grand final
1917	2nd
1918	1st	Premiers
1919	6th
1920	2nd
1921	5th
1922	4th
1923	2nd	Grand final
1924	2nd	Grand final
1925	1st	Premiers
1926	1st	Premiers
1927	1st	Premiers
1928	3rd	Premiers
1929	1st	Premiers
1930	3rd	Semi final
1931	2nd	Premiers
1932	1st	Premiers
1933	3rd	Semi final
1934	4th	Semi final
1935	2nd	Grand final
1936	7th
1937	2nd
1938	2nd	Semi final
1939	4th	Grand final
1940	6th
1941	7th
1942	5th
1943	5th
1944	4th	Semi final
1945	8th	Wooden spoon
1946	8th	Wooden spoon
1947	7th
1948	7th
1949	1st	Grand final
1950	1st	Premiers
1951	1st	Premiers
1952	3rd	Grand final
1953	1st	Premiers
1954	2nd	Premiers
1955	4th	Premiers
1956	3rd	Preliminary final
1957	3rd	Preliminary final
1958	8th
1959	6th
1960	8th
1961	7th
1962	10th	Wooden spoon
1963	9th
1964	5th
1965	4th	Grand final
1966	6th
1967	2nd	Premiers
1968	1st	Premiers
1969	1st	Grand final
1970	1st	Premiers
1971	2nd	Premiers
1972	4th	Semi final
1973	7th
1974	5th	Qualifying final
1975	12th	Wooden spoon
1976	10th
1977	11th
1978	7th
1979	9th
1980	5th	Qualifying final
1981	9th
1982	6th
1983	8th
1984	5th	Semi final
1985	9th
1986	2nd	Semi final
1987	5th	Semi final
1988	8th
1989	1st	Preliminary final
1990	16th	Wooden spoon
1991	14th
1992	14th
1993	14th
1994	9th

ARL (1995-1997)

Season	Ladder position	Finish
1995	18th
1996	19th
1997	11th

NRL (1998–Present)

Season	Ladder	Finish
1998	18th
1999	12th
2002	14th
2003	15th	Wooden spoon
2004	15th	Wooden spoon
2005	13th
2006	15th	Wooden spoon
2007	7th	Semi finals
2008	14th
2009	10th
2010	9th
2011	10th
2012	3rd	Preliminary final
2013	2nd	Preliminary final
2014	3rd	Premiers
2015	7th	Elimination final
2016	12th
2017	12th
2018	3rd	Preliminary final
2019	3rd	Preliminary final
2020	6th	Preliminary final
2021	3rd	Grand final
2022	7th	Preliminary final
2023	9th
2024	16th

Club Honours

Premierships

Competition	Level	Wins	Years won
NSWRFL/ARL/NRL	First Grade	21	1908, 1909, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 2014
NSW Cup	Second Grade	21	1913, 1914, 1917, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1943, 1945, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1966, 1968, 1983, 2023
Jersey Flegg Cup	Under 21s	9	1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1978, 2019
S. G. Ball Cup	Under 18s	10	1965, 1969, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1986, 1994, 1998
Harold Matthews Cup	Under 16s	1	1974
NSWRL Women's	Women's	2	1996, 1997

Other Titles and Honours

Competition	Level	Wins	Years won
World Club Challenge	World Championship	1	2015
State Championship	Second Grade	1	2023
NRL Nines	Pre season	1	2015
Ron Coote Cup	First Grade	9	2009, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Charity Shield	Pre season	23	1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023

Finishing Positions

Competition	Level	Wins	Years won
NSWRFL/ARL/NRL	Minor premiership (J.J.Giltinan Shield)	17	1908, 1909, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1932, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1989
	Runner up	14	1910, 1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1949, 1952, 1965, 1969, 2021
	Wooden spoons	8	1945, 1946, 1962, 1975, 1990, 2003, 2004, 2006

Individual Awards

Club Best & Fairest

The George Piggins Medal is given to the Rabbitohs player who is considered the "best and fairest" in an NRL season. The first winner was Bryan Fletcher in 2003. In 2013, John Sutton and Greg Inglis were the first players to share the award.

George Piggins Medal (First Grade)

Season	Player	Position
2003	Bryan Fletcher	Second-row
2004	Ashley Harrison	Lock
2005	Peter Cusack	Prop
2006	David Fa'alogo	Second-row
2007	Roy Asotasi	Prop
2008	Luke Stuart	Prop
2009	John Sutton	Five eighth
2010	Issac Luke	Hooker
2011	Nathan Merritt	Wing
2012	John Sutton (2)	Five eighth
2013	John Sutton (3)	Five eighth
	Greg Inglis	Fullback
2014	Sam Burgess	Lock
2015	Greg Inglis (2)	Fullback
2016	Sam Burgess (2)	Lock
2017	Sam Burgess (3)	Lock
2018	Damien Cook	Hooker
2019	Damien Cook (2)	Hooker
2020	Cody Walker	Five eighth
2021	Cody Walker (2)	Five eighth
2022	Junior Tatola	Prop
2023	Campbell Graham	Centre
2024	Jack Wighton	Five eighth

Clive Churchill Medal

The Clive Churchill medal is given to the best player in the Grand Final.

• Clive Churchill (1954)*
• Jack Rayner (1955)*
• Eric Simms (1968)*
• Bob Grant (1970)*
• Ron Coote (1971)*
• Sam Burgess (2014)

* These medals were given out later for past games.

Dally M Award Winners

Dally M Medal

This award goes to the best player of the year in the regular season.

• Robert Laurie (1980)

Rookie of the Year

• Jim Sedaris (1989)
• Chris Sandow (2008)
• Adam Reynolds (2012)
• George Burgess (2013)

Coach of the Year

• Anthony Seibold (2018)

Team of the Year

• Robert Laurie (Five-eighth, 1980)
• Nathan Gibbs (Second row, 1980)
• Mick Pattison (Five-eighth, 1981)
• Ian Roberts (Prop, 1987)
• Phil Blake (Five-eighth, 1989)
• Matt Parsons (Prop, 1999)
• Greg Inglis (Fullback, 2013)
• Sam Burgess (Lock, 2014)
• Damien Cook (Hooker, 2018)
• Cameron Murray (Lock, 2019)
• Cody Walker (Five-eighth, 2021)
• Alex Johnston (Wing, 2022)

NRL Immortals

• Clive Churchill (1981)
• Ron Coote (2024)

NRL Hall of Fame

The NRL Hall of Fame honors those who have greatly contributed to rugby league in Australia since 1908.

• Clive Churchill (2002)
• Harold Horder (2004)
• Ron Coote (2005)
• George Treweek (2006)
• Harry Wells (2007)
• Cec Blinkhorn (2018)
• Billy Cann (2018)
• Herb Gilbert (2018)
• Howard Hallett (2018)
• Brian Hambly (2018)
• Bob McCarthy (2018)
• John O'Neill (2018)
• John Sattler (2018)
• Benny Wearing (2018)
• Sam Burgess (2024)
• Greg Inglis (2024)
• Benji Marshall (2024)
• Wayne Bennett (2024, coach)

Other Player Awards

• Nathan Merritt (2006, Ken Irvine Medal)
• Nathan Merritt (2011, Ken Irvine Medal)
• Chris Sandow (2011, top point scorer)
• Greg Inglis (2013, Provan-Summons Medal)
• Damien Cook (2018, Provan-Summons Medal)
• Adam Reynolds (2020, top point scorer)
• Alex Johnston (2020, Ken Irvine Medal)
• Alex Johnston (2021, Ken Irvine Medal)
• Alex Johnston (2022, Ken Irvine Medal)

Statistics and Records

South Sydney is the most successful club in NSW rugby league history. They have won the most championships and their players have achieved many great things.

Here are some club achievements:

• The Rabbitohs have won the most first-grade championships (21). They also have the most reserve-grade championships (21).
• They are the only team to win a championship in their first season (1908).
• In 1951, they scored the most points (42), most tries (8), and most goals (9) in a Grand Final. This was against Manly.
• The 1925 South Sydney team went through the season without losing. Only five other NSW teams have done this.
• In 1925, the club won championships in all three grades. This has only happened three other times in history.
• In 2008, the Rabbitohs made the second-biggest comeback in Australian rugby league history. They were losing 28–4 to the North Queensland Cowboys but won 29–28.

Here are some player records:

• John Sutton has played the most games for the club (336 matches).
• Jack Rayner has won the most Grand Finals as a captain (5) and coach (5).
• Adam Reynolds holds the club record for most points (1896 points).
• Eric Simms scored 265 points in 1969. This is still the club record for points in a season.
• Eric Simms also holds records for most goals (112) and field goals (19) in a season. He has the most career field goals (86) and most field goals in a game (5).
• Johnny Graves scored 29 points in a game in 1952. This is the club record for most individual points in a match.
• Alex Johnston is the only player to score 30 tries in a single NRL season. He did this in both 2021 and 2022.
• Bob McCarthy scored 100 tries for the club. This is the most by a forward player.
• Alex Johnston scored 5 tries in a game twice (2017 and 2020). He joined other greats like Nathan Merritt and Harold Horder.
• Alex Johnston passed Nathan Merritt's record for most tries for Souths in 2022. He had 166 tries by the end of 2022.

Head-to-Head Records

Opponent	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Win %
Gold Coast Titans	22	16	0	6	65.22
Dolphins	3	2	0	1	66.666
Wests Tigers	42	25	0	17	59.52
Parramatta Eels	134	75	3	56	55.97
North Queensland Cowboys	40	21	1	18	52.50
Warriors	40	21	0	19	52.50
St George-Illawarra Dragons	40	21	0	19	52.50
Sydney Roosters	231	120	5	106	51.95
Penrith Panthers	94	48	1	45	51.06
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	149	72	0	77	48.32
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	168	80	4	84	47.62
Cronulla Sharks	94	43	3	48	45.74
Newcastle Knights	47	19	0	28	40.43
Canberra Raiders	60	24	0	36	40.00
Brisbane Broncos	48	15	1	32	31.25
Melbourne Storm	39	7	0	32	17.95

Defunct Teams

Opponent	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Win%
Cumberland	1	1	0	0	100.00%
Northern Eagles	1	1	0	0	100.00%
University	31	30	1	0	98.38%
Annandale	21	19	1	1	92.85%
Newcastle (1908–09)	5	4	0	1	80.00%
South Queensland	4	3	0	1	64.70%
Glebe	42	27	0	15	64.28%
North Sydney	175	104	6	65	61.14%
Newtown	153	90	7	56	61.11%
Western Suburbs	182	106	5	71	59.61%
Balmain	178	95	3	80	54.21%
Gold Coast	18	9	1	8	52.77%
Western Reds/Perth	2	1	0	1	50.00%
St George	163	69	2	92	42.94%
Illawarra	31	12	2	17	41.93%
Adelaide	1	0	0	1	0.00%

Images for kids

• 

  Souths Juniors on Anzac Parade in Kingsford

See Also

In Spanish: South Sydney Rabbitohs para niños

• List of teams in the NSWRL/ARL/SL/NRL
• List of rugby league clubs in Australia