History of the Minties Jersey

The Minties jersey holds a special place in Rabbitohs history — a bold, modern design first worn in 1980 that came to symbolise resilience, innovation, and the Club’s fighting spirit through a challenging era. Originally introduced as part of a new identity campaign led by Don Lane and coach Bill Anderson, the jersey stood out with its distinctive green base, red chest band, and fine white stripes — a look ahead of its time that quickly became iconic among Members and fans.

Now, more than four decades later, the famous Minties design returns as our official 2026 Away Jersey, celebrating a piece of South Sydney heritage and paying tribute to one of the most unique eras in the Club’s proud story.

The 1970s: Challenge, Change and the Seeds of Renewal

The 1970s were a defining decade in South Sydney’s proud and storied history. The Club added two more premierships to its name in 1970 and 1971, and few moments embody the Rabbitohs spirit more than captain John Sattler’s heroic performance in the 1970 Grand Final, playing through the pain of a broken jaw to lead his team to victory.

As the decade unfolded, the Club entered a period of transition. Many of our premiership-winning stars moved on, and in 1973, the South Sydney Leagues Club was forced to close its doors. In response, the now-famous “Save Our Souths” campaign was launched, rallying the Rabbitohs community and ensuring the Club’s survival.

Well-known television personality Don Lane, a passionate South Sydney supporter, was instrumental during this time. With his national platform and deep love for the red and green, he helped champion the campaign that kept the Rabbitohs alive, uniting fans and inspiring belief that the Club would endure.

Financial challenges continued to test Souths through the mid-1970s, leading to further changes in personnel and structure. Despite those difficulties, the Rabbitohs’ trademark determination shone through, as new faces and coaches stepped up to guide the team forward. The likes of Johnny King (1976), John O’Neill (1977), and the legendary Jack Gibson (1978–79) each played their part in rebuilding a platform for future success.

With the dawn of a new decade, South Sydney embraced a bold new identity. Bill Anderson took over as head coach in 1980, and alongside a renewed sense of optimism came a striking new look — a jersey that would go on to become one of the most recognisable in Rabbitohs history.

This “Minties”-style jersey featured a deep green base with a bold red band across the chest and sleeves, bordered by fine white stripes. Red and green epaulettes completed the look, while white shorts with red and green diamond detailing and matching socks gave the team a clean, modern aesthetic. Our major sponsor at the time, KLG (Smiths Industries), proudly adorned the front of the jersey.

The fresh design represented more than just a change of colours — it symbolised renewal, progress, and connection. The Club also introduced a new team song, “Onward to Victory”, written and recorded by Don Lane. The tune was adapted from the Notre Dame Victory March — first written in 1908, the same year South Sydney was formed — and remains one of the great anthems of Rabbitohs history.

Don Lane played a pivotal role in shaping this modern identity. His idea to add white between the red and green bands came from the limitations of analogue television technology at the time — red and green often appeared distorted on older colour TVs. The main reason for placing white in-between our traditional colours of red and green was that the old analog colour TV sets didn’t display red and green all that well, and it made them look fuzzy. Those old TV’s cannot be compared to today’s HD and 2-8K TV’s, which are far superior.

Italian Flag Myth:

Over the years, a popular myth has circulated that the addition of white to South Sydney’s traditional red and green jersey was intended to attract support from Sydney’s Italian community. In truth, that couldn’t be further from reality. The decision to include white was purely a design and broadcasting choice, made to help the Club’s colours stand out more clearly on the analogue television sets of the era.

The only thing the Minties jersey shares with the Italian flag are the colours themselves — red, white, and green. Beyond that coincidence, the design was entirely about clarity, visibility, and creating a modern look that reflected the spirit of the Rabbitohs entering a new decade.

The Beginning:

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald on February 19, South Sydney secretary Terry Parker outlined the Club’s belief that the future of the game depended on strong community engagement rather than the proposed promotion and relegation system. He credited much of the Club’s new promotional direction to TV personality and passionate Rabbitohs supporter Don Lane, whose ideas focused on connecting fans more closely with the team and making them feel part of the Club’s identity.

That vision gave rise to a new campaign theme — “The Spirit of the 14th Man” — representing the Rabbitohs’ supporters as an extension of the team itself. To reinforce the message, the number 14 jersey was designated as the official supporter’s jumper.

The new era was officially launched with a rally at Redfern Oval on Friday, February 22, where Don Lane served as master of ceremonies in front of a proud crowd of Members and fans. It was the dawn of a new decade and a time of bold innovation — with a new song, a new jersey, and a renewed spirit at the grand old Club.

1980 Season

The new look Rabbitohs in 1980 also had a much bigger forward pack than in the past few seasons, and Robert ‘Rocky’ Laurie, was made captain of the first grade side. The first time that jersey was worn on the field was in a trial game against Maitland on Saturday night, February 23, when Souths easily defeated the locals by 23-2 at Maitland Showground, in front of 4,000 spectators. Then the pre-season competition (Craven Mild Cup) started, and we played in three games, losing two and winning just one.

1980 Round One v St. George:

Our round one premiership game was against St. George, and we were both set to open the new decade of rugby league on Saturday, March 29, 1980, at Kogarah Jubilee Oval. The two clubs have won more premierships than any other clubs, in fact 35 between them, and St. George were considered by many bookies to be the favourites for the title again in 1980, which they won the previous year. So, this was going to be a real test for us and how our season might develop.

The match could not have ended better, with the Rabbitohs causing a huge 26-12 upset win, and the Sydney Morning Herald heading of the match report by Alan Clarkson said it all, with the caption: “Souths Make Bunnies of Premiers”. The first match of the season and the first big upset set the tone for rest of the season.

The Dragons scored a quick try in the first minute through Steve Morris, and Graeme Wynn’s conversion made it 5-nil. But the young Rabbitohs did not panic, with Joe Squadrito scoring an un-converted try in the fifth minute to make it 3-5. As the match progressed our new captain and half-back, ‘Rocky’ Laurie took complete control of the rucks, and twice he raced from the scrum base to score the easiest of tries. On another occasion he led his team on a 50-metre movement which ended in Grant Jones scoring a spectacular try for the Rabbitohs. Our ‘Hitman’ from Wallumbilla, big Charlie Frith, also shone out with some of his blockbuster defence. Souths raced to a lead of 26-7 before St. George scored their next try by Morris again, with only three minutes remaining, and after Wynn converted it the scores looked a little more respectable at 26 points to 12.

We had three debutants in that match, two were in the starting lineup and one came on as a replacement. The affectionate Ziggy Niszczot, who went on to captain the club and became a real crowd favourite, played in the centres, Pat Smith was lock-forward who kicked four goals from seven attempts, and Michael Carberry replaced Peter Tunks in the second half.

1980 was also the year that Channel Ten first televised the Dally M awards, which were first featured in the Daily Mirror in 1979, and won by Steve Morris. The first Dally M points in this opening match of 1980 were given to: 1st place, ‘Rocky’ Laurie, (8 points), 2nd was Pat Smith (6 points), and 3rd was big Charlie Frith (3 points). Laurie went on to win the top prize at the end of the year to become the first winner of the first televised Dally M Awards.

Round Five v Newtown:

There were many big results we took in that season, which included a big win over Balmain by 28-2, an incredible 59-5 victory over Penrith, a huge upset win over Manly by 26-17, and there was also one controversial loss at Redfern Oval against Newtown in round five, when we lost 10-12, after Wayne McPherson, who was making his debut in that game, kicked a legal goal, which would have drawn the game. But one touch judge raised his flag for a goal, and the other touchie waived his flag for no goal. The referee ruled it a no goal and we lost the match in very controversial circumstances. I was at that game and my view was directly in line with McPherson’s kick, and there is no way he missed that kick and video replays confirmed it was a goal.

The 1980 side showed remarkable fightback qualities. At the end of round 13 we were equal second last on the ladder with Balmain on eight points, and in the next nine games we won eight and drew one. Before the last round we were sitting in fifth place on the ladder, one point ahead of Parramatta and Manly, and we had to win our next round game against Canterbury to secure a remarkable semi-final appearance. Sadly, we lost that game against the Bulldogs by 18-27, and to everyone’s amazement both Parramatta and Manly also lost their matches, which kept us in the semis and in fifth place. But unfortunately, our first match in the semis was against the Dragons, who by that time improved out of sight to win by 16 points to 5 and end our season, which was full of merit.

The club was also looking at an optional jersey design, with reverse colours, which was planned to be used during the midweek Tooth Cup. The jersey was approved by the NSWRFL, and a few samples were made and given to staff and some players as thank you gifts for their hard work, but the jersey was never used on the field in any game.

That alternate jersey design with reverse colours was later used by our club in 2008 during the NRL League of Legends to celebrate 100 years of rugby league in Australia, it was also featured on some of our polos over the years and training kits. In 2014 it was the alternate jersey for our NYC side (Holden Cup Under-20s), with The Juniors as the main sponsor on the front and Holden on the sleeves. And it was used by our NRL side in the 2020 Perth Nines with Alcatel as main sponsor with Zoom above it on the front and Wot.if on the sleeves. Also in the same year, it was our Charity Shield and alternate jersey with Aqualand as the main sponsor with Zoom above it on the front and Wot.if on the sleeves.

At the end of the season Smiths Industries told the club they would not be renewing their sponsorship contract for next season, and later that year the club announced a new sponsor – which was Seagram Australia Pty Limited, who were part of the world’s largest wine and spirit manufacturers. They signed a three-year deal with the club at $75,000 per season, which was a fair bit of money back then. Souths 1981 jerseys included the Scotch whisky brand name of “100 Pipers” on the front and back.

We also lost the services of ‘Rocky’ Laurie, who after winning the 1980 Dally M medal signed a two-year deal with our archrivals, Eastern Suburbs, believed to be worth $50,000 a year, which was the richest ever contract in League history up to that point.

The 1980 season also introduced us to the first ever State of Origin match – there was only one match played under this rule after NSW easily won the inter-state series 2-0. Gary Hambly was the only Souths player included in either side after he played for NSW as a prop forward. The Maroons won the historic match 20-10.

1981 Season

1981 Tooth Cup Final v Sharks:

The 1981 season proved to be a mixed one for South Sydney, marked by inconsistency and misfortune. Guildford junior Micheal Pattison joined the Club as a replacement for Rocky Laurie and began strongly, earning a selection for the State of Origin side. However, he was forced to withdraw on the morning of the match due to what was initially thought to be an ear infection, later diagnosed as meningitis. Although he made a full recovery, injuries continued to plague his two-year stint with Souths, including breaking both collarbones while representing City Firsts in 1982.

On the field, the Rabbitohs managed eight wins, one draw and thirteen losses to finish nine points behind fifth-placed Manly on the ladder. Despite the challenges, the season ended on a high when Souths claimed the 1981 Tooth Cup Final with a gritty 10–2 victory over Cronulla at Leichhardt Oval before a packed crowd of 23,079.

Club captain Mitch Brennan capped off a memorable night, taking home the Try of the Series award and a brand-new Volvo station wagon valued at $18,600 — his second such honour after winning in the 1978 Amco Cup with St George. The Rabbitohs also pocketed $95,900 in prizemoney, which was shared among the players as a reward for their triumph and the remainder set aside for their end-of-season trip.

In the final, Mark Ross opened the scoring with a penalty goal before Steve Walsh crossed from dummy-half in the 50th minute, and Peter Tunks sealed the win with a determined try late in the match. Walsh’s outstanding performance at fullback earned him Man of the Match honours, while Cronulla captain Steve Rogers was named Player of the Series.

The Tooth Cup final also marked the final appearance of South Sydney’s hard-hitting forward Charlie Frith, who suffered a dislocated shoulder in what would be his last game for the Club.

1982 Season

1982 was a historical year because of the incorporation of South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club to a Company Limited by guarantee. This occurred at an Extraordinary Meeting of Members held at the South Sydney Leagues Club on Sunday, June 13, 1982. But on the football field it proved to be another frustrating year for the Rabbitohs. It was also the year when Canberra and Illawarra were admitted to the premiership.

We defeated Canberra 37-7 in round one, Newtown 30-0 in round two, and then lost to Illawarra 20-10 at Wollongong. Round 13 was the half-way mark of the season and after a great 22-11 win over Manly, we were lying in equal second place on the ladder with Parramatta, both on 20 points and two behind Manly. In the following round we beat Canterbury 26-20 at Redfern Oval and were tied with Parramatta and Manly in the top spot, with 22 points. Then injuries to key players, including Micheal Pattison, and complacency set in to knock us out of the top five. We lost our last four games and finished sixth on the premiership ladder, with 29 points, and three points behind fifth placed Wests.

Notable Results:

• Round 2 – defeated Newtown 30-0 at Redfern Oval. The Jets were eventual grand finalists that year.
• Round 7 – defeated Easts 9-5 at Redfern Oval. Our round 21 clash was also drawn 12-all at the Sports Ground.
• Round 13 – defeated Manly 22-11 at Redfern Oval.
• Round 14 – defeated Canterbury 26-20 at Redfern Oval.
• Round 22 – defeated Parramatta 16-15 at Redfern Oval, after being down 7-15 with only five minutes to go. Ken Wright kicked a field goal in the 79th to snatch victory. Parramatta won the comp that year.

The midweek Cup changed its name to KB Cup, and the Rabbitohs made it all the way to the semi-finals, when the match finished at 8-all and Newtown won it on penalty countback. The penalty count was 8-7 in favour of the Jets, and they were no match for Manly in the final, with the Sea Eagles running out easy winners 23-8.

The 1982 season also saw the introduction of the first ever Charity Shield match played, between the Rabbitohs and Dragons, with the Dragons running out winners in a tight contest by 9 points to 7, after George Grant kicked the winning penalty goal in the last minute. This so-called trial match has been regarded as the unofficial start to the premiership by becoming a permanent annual fixture ever since, with the merged St. George Illawarra side taking over the tradition for the Dragons from 1999 onwards. It was not played in 2000-01 when we were not part of the NRL competition.

1983 Season

The 1983 season marked another period of transition for South Sydney as Ron Willey took over as head coach from Bill Anderson. While the team narrowly missed out on a finals berth, finishing ninth on the ladder with 24 points — just six points shy of the top five — there were still plenty of moments that highlighted the determination and potential within the squad.

Throughout the year, the Rabbitohs produced some impressive victories against top-tier opposition, showing their ability to compete with the best when at their peak. The highlight performances included a commanding 46–10 win over Cronulla at Redfern Oval, a thrilling 28–24 victory over St George at Kogarah and a gritty 11–0 shutout of eventual premiers Parramatta at home. The team finished the year strongly with a 33–12 triumph over Easts at the Sydney Sports Ground, ending the season on a positive note.

In the midweek KB Cup, Souths were eliminated in the opening round by NSW Country, but the competition provided valuable experience for a developing roster filled with promising young players.

While finals football proved just out of reach, the season laid the groundwork for improvement, a sign that South Sydney’s trademark fight and resilience were alive and well heading into the mid-1980s.

1984 Season

The 1984 season was one to remember for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, both for its resilience and for the revival of belief that swept through the Club and its supporters. Off the field, Pye Consumer Products came on board as major sponsor, with Ignis Fridges proudly featured on the front of the jersey and Pye Audio on the back.

The season culminated in one of the Club’s most inspiring finals runs, highlighted by a thrilling comeback victory that remains etched in the memories of all who witnessed it. After clinching a spot in the finals with a dominant 23–4 win over Canberra in the Play-Off for 5th Place at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Rabbitohs went on to produce one of the great performances of the decade in the Minor Preliminary Semi-Final against Manly. Down 14–0 after 20 minutes, South Sydney rallied in trademark fashion to turn the match on its head, stunning the Sea Eagles 22–18 in a fiery contest that featured the famous “Henry Call" moment that threw Manly off their game and turned the momentum in Souths favour.

Though the season ended in the semi-final against St George, the fightback qualities shown in the closing rounds and finals campaign reignited pride throughout the Club and its loyal supporters.

In the midweek National Panasonic Cup, Souths fell just short in their round one clash against a powerful Brisbane representative side, losing 25–18 at Lang Park. Brisbane would go on to win the tournament, underlining the level of competition the Rabbitohs faced that year.

Notable Results:

• Round 6 – defeated Easts 24-8 at Redfern Oval.
• Round 11 – defeated Cronulla 40-16 at Redfern Oval.
• Round 15 – defeated Canberra 16-6 at Redfern Oval.
• Round 16 – defeated Parramatta 18-4 at Belmore Sports Ground.
• Play-Off for 5th Place – defeated Canberra 23-4 at SCG.
• Minor Prel. Semi-final – defeated Manly 22-18 at SCG.

WHERE THE “MINTIES” STYLED JERSEY WAS USED AFTER 1984

2010 Charity Shield vs Dragons

Souths played two trials before the Shield match, defeating the Sea Eagles 38–12 at the Australian Technology Park in Redfern, and losing 22–28 to the Gold Coast Titans at BCU International Stadium, Coffs Harbour.

The twenty-seventh Charity Shield match against the Dragons ended in a 26-all draw at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night, February 27. Roy Asotasi captained the side, and the Rabbitohs led for most of the contest before Brett Morris scored in the final minute to level the scores.

2010 Heritage Round vs Wests Tigers

Souths defeated the Wests Tigers 50–10 at the Sydney Cricket Ground after leading 18–6 at the break. Nathan Merritt scored a hat-trick and Beau Champion added two tries in front of a crowd of 30,685 spectators.

2011 Charity Shield vs Wests Tigers

The ISC logo was updated from the 2010 version, but otherwise, the jersey design remained identical.
In the 28th Charity Shield, the Dragons claimed a 32–10 victory at ANZ Stadium before 19,267 fans.

Later that season, Souths faced the Wests Tigers again on April 8 at the Sydney Football Stadium, where the Tigers won 30–6 before a crowd of 22,677.

2012 Heritage Round vs Wests Tigers

Souths triumphed in a thrilling 17–16 win over the Wests Tigers at Allianz Stadium in front of 25,608 fans.
With scores locked at 16-all after full-time, Greg Inglis stepped up to slot a field goal just one minute and 40 seconds into extra time, sealing a memorable victory for the Rabbitohs.

2014 NYC (U20s) Alternate Jersey

Souths’ NYC side finished in seventh place on the competition ladder to qualify for the top eight.
They went down 24–28 to the Wests Tigers in their qualifying final at Allianz Stadium.

This jersey design was modelled on the 1980 Tooth Cup jersey, which was originally never worn on the field.

2020 Perth Nines Pre-Season Tournament

The Rabbitohs reached the quarter-finals of the 2020 Perth Nines, where they were defeated 20–6 by the eventual winners, the North Queensland Cowboys.

The jersey worn for the tournament was inspired by the 1980 Tooth Cup design, a tribute to one of the Club’s most iconic looks.

2020 Charity Shield vs Dragons

Souths defeated the Dragons 26–12 at Glen Willow Regional Sports Stadium in Mudgee, with just over 9,000 fans in attendance.

The team once again wore the jersey inspired by the 1980 Tooth Cup design — a modern interpretation of a classic era in Rabbitohs history.