🐇 George Piggins, AM | Rabbitohs Coach #20

Full Name: George Leslie Piggins, AM
Nickname: Barney
Born: 14/10/1944 at Mascot (Sydney), NSW
Club Playing Career: South Sydney 1964-75 (premiers in 1967-68 and 1970-71)
Representative Playing Career: City Seconds 1974-75; The Rest 1974; NSW 1974 and 1976 (three games); Australia 1975 (three World Cup games)
Club Coaching Career: South Sydney 1986-90
Administrative Career: Rabbitohs Chairman 1990-2003; Rabbitohs Director 1990-2002; Rabbitohs Finance and Retention Committee 1991-94; Rabbitohs Finance Committee 1995-98; Rabbitohs Retention Committee 1997-98
Awards and Accolades: Rabbitohs premiership winner 1967-68 and 1970-71; Rabbitohs Life Membership 1978; Centenary Medal 2001; Member of the Order of Australia (AM) 2002; George Piggins Medal (for Best and Fairest, named in his honour) 2003; NRL Hall of Fame 2023

George Piggins is a former wharfie's labourer from Mascot who became a legend of this grand old club as a player and an administrator. His never-say-die attitude was instilled into him very early in his life when he learned about family, friendship, community and hard work, and then Rugby League also taught him about discipline and respect. In his heyday as a player, he was a rugged and dependable hooker and there was no more deserving player named to make the second phase of 1975 World Championship tour than Piggins. Until the end of the 1973 season, Piggins had been forced to play second fiddle to Elwyn Walters at Souths even though the controversy always raged as to who was the better hooker. Walters was an established international and had been since the 1967-68 Kangaroo tour, so it was hard for Piggins to beat him for the top job at Souths. There were times when Souths used Walters as a prop to get Piggins into the First Grade team.

George captained the Rabbitohs in 15 games. On Sunday 2 May, 1976, he scored an unforgettable try against Wests at Lidcombe Oval which Rex Mossop later described as the best individual try he had ever seen. He received the ball about 15 metres away from Wests’ tryline and started charging towards the posts. He amazingly knocked down at least four opposition forwards out of his way to showcase his determination and will to win, and scored a memorable try near the right-hand post. In 1977, he famously donated his $200 club award for playing in 100 first grade games, as a $10 weekly award for the Best and Fairest player in Under-23s for the following season. With injuries catching up to him, however, Piggins retired at the end of 1978.

After retiring as a player he worked as a truck driver, eventually starting his own business where he owned a fleet of trucks. He also invented a device which increased the rate at which trucks could be unloaded. His invention and business were later sold for millions of dollars. He also shared a nursery at Kingsford called Gardens 'R' Us, firstly with Jack Gibson, and later with his brothers to make it a family business. George also had an interest in horse racing and breeding.

He coached Souths in 1986-90 and received two Dally M Awards for coach of the year – in 1986 and 1989. They won the minor premiership in 1989, and many fans were hoping the Rabbitohs would break their duck and win another premiership. But after a heavy injury toll and some wretched luck throughout the finals series they were defeated in both of their finals games.

Due to the National Rugby League's plans for a fourteen-team competition, the South Sydney club was excluded from the NRL premiership from the 2000 season. Piggins was the chairman of the South Sydney club during the legal battle against the NRL for re-inclusion in the premiership, which was achieved during 2001. He led the marches and even put up $3.2 million of his own money in a mortgage on the club's block of units adjacent to the Leagues Club. That year Piggins was awarded the Centenary Medal 'for service to the sport of rugby league' as the Rabbitohs returned to the playing field in 2002. At the start of that year, his book, Never Say Die: The Fight to save the Rabbitohs was released. Its title refers to the persistence needed to keep the South Sydney club in the top-level competition.

In 2002, Piggins was further honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia for service to Rugby League football as an administrator, coach and player, and to the South Sydney community. Also, in 2002 he was replaced as chairman of the club by the lawyer who led the battle with News for re-inclusion, Nicholas Pappas, AM.

Since 2003, the 'George Piggins Medal' has been awarded by the South Sydney club to the Rabbitohs' best and fairest player for each season. With the club's vote to allow Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes à Court's private ownership of the Rabbitohs, Piggins' relationship with the South Sydney Club was strained, however he came back to the fold in 2014 when the Rabbitohs qualified for the Grand Final and would go on to win the Club's 21st premiership. In 2023 George and his wife Nolene accepted to transfer their Life Membership to Member Co.

George Piggins is quite regarded as one of the greatest figures in South Sydney history and will always be remembered for his dedication to the Club and his never say die ethos that helped the Club win its greatest battle with re-instatement to top flight Rugby League in 2002.