Rugby league, and I’m mainly referring to Australia and New Zealand’s NRL competition, is the most brutal team sport on the planet. If you like fast-paced action with plenty of bone shattering hits, then this is the sport for you.
If you are looking for a team to support, you might want to look at the South Sydney Rabbitohs, or ”the Bunnies” as they are commonly known. They are an amazing team, steeped in pride and tradition and boasting a rich history.
At the end of the 1999 season the Rabbitohs were thrown out of the competition for failing to meet the NRL’s selection criteria. They began a widely publicized legal battle to be reinstated into the competition, which they finally won in 2002.
Their victory in court was in no way reflected in their game, however, and for the next five seasons they continued to finish the competition amongst the bottom three teams. Their most famous supporter and now co-owner, Russell Crowe, came to the rescue a few years ago, and finally it appears that his beloved team has turned the corner.
The Rabbitohs, donned in their famous green and red, play an exciting brand of football full of attack, flashy tries and big hits. They are a multinational team of indigenous and non-indigenous Australian, Kiwi and British talent and they are set to play in the finals this year. They may even crack the top four. So if you get into rugby league you could do a lot worse than follow the boys from Redfern in Sydney’s inner south.
