20 Years of Souths Cares: How It All Began
This year marks 20 years of Souths Cares, a charity built on the South Sydney Rabbitohs’ long and proud history of supporting the community. Since its establishment in 2006, Souths Cares has supported disadvantaged and marginalised young people and their families, with a strong focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
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Today, the charity engages more than 35,000 individuals each year through programs focused on education, training, health, and employment needs; empowering young people to achieve their dreams and aspirations.
As part of our Souths Cares: 20 Stories for 20 Years series, we’re looking back at the moments, people and programs that have shaped Souths Cares.
We begin where it all started back in 2006, with the Club seeking to expand its capacity to support the community that helped bring the Rabbitohs back into the National Rugby League.
This article draws on the recollections of Shane Richardson, former CEO and Head of Football of the South Sydney Rabbitohs; Peter Holmes à Court, former Executive Chairman of the South Sydney Rabbitohs; The Hon. Kristina Keneally, former Chairperson of Souths Cares and former Premier of NSW and Member for Heffron; and John Hutchinson, former General Manager of Souths Cares.
In 2006, the South Sydney Rabbitohs were a Club still finding its feet. The Club had survived expulsion from the competition in 1999, fought its way back in 2001, and now faced the work of building something sustainable. In 2006, the structures for success became a reality as the Members voted in favour of Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes à Court's investment bid for the Club. The community that had marched to save the Club was waiting to see what this new chapter would mean for them.
As Peter Holmes à Court reflected:
Peter Holmes à Court“When the club got kicked out of the competition, it was the community that marched to get the club back in. And then again, when the club got into trouble, the supporters and Members came together to give Russell and me a chance… it made absolute sense, when we were putting the Club back together again, to put community at the absolute heart of the Club.”
It was against this backdrop that Souths Cares was born, not as a marketing exercise, but as a practical way to honour the people who had saved the Club and to use the Rabbitohs’ platform in a more meaningful way.
On 28 April 2006, Peter Holmes à Court and Shane Richardson launched Souths Cares ahead of the Club’s home game against the Newcastle Knights, introducing it as a community initiative designed to raise funds to support individuals and organisations within the South Sydney area.
The first act was simple but symbolic. A gold coin collection at the Knights match raised more than $3,000 to support a former South Sydney SG Ball player facing serious illness and financial hardship. Combined with funds raised through South Sydney Juniors, more than $40,000 was contributed to assist the player and his family.
But even in those early days, Souths Cares extended beyond match day collections.
In May 2006, the Rabbitohs entered two teams in the Balmoral Burn, supporting the Humpty Dumpty Foundation’s fundraising for children’s hospitals. It signalled that Souths Cares would work alongside established charities, not in isolation.
Shane Richardson, former CEO of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, brought previous community engagement experience to the concept. Before arriving at South Sydney, he had implemented similar community programs in England and later at the Penrith Panthers. He had seen firsthand the impact a Club could have when it genuinely invested in its community.
The Rabbitohs had deep roots in Redfern and strong ties to local Indigenous communities. But Richardson believed connection alone was not enough.
The ambition was clear: move beyond symbolic gestures and build programs with longevity, programs that could genuinely change outcomes for young people facing disadvantage.
Shane RichardsonIf you want to be part of your community, you’ve got to do something real for it, not talk about it, but actually do something.
In August 2006, the Rabbitohs allied with the National Aboriginal Sports Corporation of Australia (NASCA), strengthening what was already a long-standing relationship between the Club and Indigenous communities.
Through Souths Cares, Rabbitohs players supported NASCA’s “Athletes as Role Models” programs, encouraging Aboriginal youth to stay in school, pursue healthy lifestyles and build leadership skills. Players also participated in NASCA’s ARMTour, travelling to regional and remote communities to deliver workshops and connect directly with young people.
It was a practical demonstration of how the Rabbitohs brand could be used responsibly, not just to inspire, but to engage and educate.
The Hon. Kristina Keneally, then the local Member for Heffron, was one of the first people Holmes à Court approached when beginning Souths Cares. She understood both the challenge and the opportunity. Across the South Sydney catchment, she had seen firsthand how many young people were “missing out on opportunities.”
The Hon. Kristina KeneallyThere was a real recognition that Souths could help do something about that. We’ve got this incredible asset, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, with its deep history and its deep connection to community, its strong support and recognition and brand.“How could we use that in a way that benefits young people?
The goal was clear from the outset: build something that delivered real impact.
In its earliest phase, Souths Cares was led by its first General Manager, Simon Dirs, who helped lay the groundwork for the charity’s community partnerships and programs. When John Hutchinson took over as General Manager of Souths Cares in late 2007, he saw education as the vehicle for change. If young people could be re-engaged at school, particularly in primary school, long-term outcomes could shift.
Convincing others wasn’t easy. When Hutchinson first approached the New South Wales Education Department, he was told there was no way NRL players would be allowed into primary schools, given the negative press surrounding the code.
Hutchinson did not give up. He brought a group of players to Alexandria Park Community Primary School for a trial meeting. The players were genuine and engaged, and changed minds on the spot. The New South Wales Education Department agreed to pilot the program, providing training and support at no cost.
John Hutchinson“For me, we use education as the vehicle. These kids are leaving school. They’re not even engaged in school. If we can get them engaged in education, going back to school and learning, it will give them opportunities and they can springboard off it.”
Nathan Merritt's transformation encapsulated the potential. He was initially sceptical of the impact that could be achieved, telling Hutchinson he wasn't interested. Hutchinson asked him to come along just once, with no obligation. After that first visit to Alexandria Park, Merritt turned to him and said simply: "I'm in, bro. That kid out the front talking to us today…that was me." From that point, Merritt never missed a session.
The early programs evolved through trial and iteration. Alexandria Park Community School and La Perouse Public School became anchor schools, with players like Jason Clark, Daniel Irvine, and Adam Reynolds working with students, providing classroom support. Word spread. Other schools in the district began calling, asking how they could access the same support. The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations approached Souths Cares about piloting a program for year 11 and 12 students transitioning beyond school, and the Nanga Mai Marri (Dream Big) Program was launched. It became the first iteration of what would eventually be replicated by the NRL as the School-to-Work program.
Funding remained tight in those early years. Hutchinson operated, as he put it, “on the smell of an oily rag.” But the commitment was there; from players, from the Board, from partners like KPMG and Deloitte who saw value in what Souths Cares was trying to achieve. The programs worked because they had integrity. Hutchinson was insistent on that point: “I didn’t want us to be all show, no go. Whatever we say we’re going to do, we’re going to do. Start small, and then look at how we can grow that program.”
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One early project illustrated both the Club’s reach and its willingness to experiment.
As the local Member for Heffron, Kristina Keneally was dealing with a growing problem. Bus routes travelling through South Sydney, particularly those running down toward Matraville and Maroubra, were being vandalised. The situation had escalated to the point where State Transit was cancelling services.
“That can’t stand,” Keneally recalled. While government responses often default to policing, there was a recognition that enforcement alone wouldn’t solve the issue. Instead, the Rabbitohs, through the arm of Souths Cares, proposed a different solution: rebrand the buses themselves.
The vehicles were wrapped with Souths Cares messaging and images of Rabbitohs players, including David Peachey. What had been anonymous government buses became something visibly connected to the local community and the Club.
“It was so remarkable,” Keneally said. “Once the buses had been transformed into vehicles carrying that Souths Cares message…the vandalism stopped.” It was a turning point.
The Hon. Kristina KeneallyI think it was a moment where both government and the organisation realised we had something special here. This wasn’t going to be a charity that was just about making football players look good. It was never going to be that. But what we demonstrated is that by using the players, by using the brand of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, we created an instant connection and credibility with young people that then allowed us to take the next step in the conversation.
From modest beginnings, Souths Cares has evolved into a foundational part of the Club’s identity.
It shaped how the Rabbitohs partnered with the government. It influenced how players understood their role beyond the field. It created pathways for young people who might otherwise have been left behind.
Looking back, Richardson sees it as one of the defining legacies of his time at the Club.
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“It’s grown into what it is today,” he said. “And I’m very proud of what the people have been able to achieve. It’s more than just winning on Sundays.”
And that remains the principle at the heart of Souths Cares, that a football Club’s value is measured not only by on-field wins, but by what it builds in its community.
