The South Sydney Rabbitohs are mourning the passing of Life Member Kevin Lang who passed away on Monday evening, aged 87.
Mr Lang, nicknamed ‘Showboat’, was given that nickname because of his attitude in life. He always loved to party and organise events, and he knew many people in the show business.
Mr Lang also loved his cricket and Rugby League, and followed the Rabbitohs all his life. He played first grade cricket with St. George, Glebe and the South Sydney Leagues cricket clubs, and he was a very good leg-spin bowler. His former team-mates say that he was very unlucky not to achieve higher honours in cricket.
Mr Lang began his association with the South Sydney Leagues Cricket Club when they were formed in the late 1950s by founding president and former Souths player and official, Les Bell, and lasted until they terminated in the late 1990s. He was club president for the last 15 years of their existence. His son, Michael Lang, also played first grade cricket for St. George.
Kevin then turned his attention to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and was a member of many club committees and roles from 1978-99. They include:
- Social Committee: 1978-90 (as Chairman for the last seven years).
- Ground Announcer: 1979-86 (shared with John Riordan), and in 1987 (shared with Steve McDermott).
- Ways & Means Committee: 1983-87.
- Team Managers: 1991-93 (shared with Tom Cocking).
- School Committee: 1996-97.
- Sin Bin: 1997-99 and 2002-03.
Mr Lang also managed the South Sydney cheergirls in the 1980s, which were called the Rabbiteens, and he refereed many schoolboys matches on weekends in the South Sydney District.
Mr Lang was awarded Life Membership of the South Sydney Football Club in 1989. Life Membership was first awarded in 1961 and is the highest honour bestowed by the South Sydney Rabbitohs, recognising extraordinary service to the Club over an extended period.
Mr Lang used to work at Metcalf Bond for the MSB in the late-1950s and moved to Millers Point, where he lived for more than 60 years. He was also involved with the ‘Save Millers Point’ protest movement and appeared in many newspaper articles and TV coverages to stop various governments to lease and sell Millers Point, Dawes Point and The Rocks properties and move existing public housing tenants.
Mr Lang’s funeral will be held next Wednesday, 8 November, at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park (a.k.a. Botany Cemetery and Crematorium) at 1pm.
On behalf of everyone connected with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, we offer our deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr Kevin Lang.
