Red, Green and Navy: The Story Behind Our 2026 Anzac Jersey
This Anzac Day, the South Sydney Rabbitohs will take the field wearing a jersey that carries more than 100 years of shared history with the Royal Australian Navy. The 2026 ANZAC jersey marks 125 years since the founding of the RAN and honours the men who wore both the red and green and the Navy blue, players and officials who served their country with the same commitment they brought to the football field.
The connection between Souths and the Navy runs deep. From the battlefields of World War One to the Pacific campaign of World War Two, Rabbitohs men answered the call. This jersey tells their story.
Harold Horder: The Wonder Winger Who Served
Souths Federals 1912, Souths 1912–19 & 1924
Harold Norman Horder served with the Naval Reserves during WWI. The game's original 'Wonder Winger' was the greatest attacking winger the code has seen. The Souths junior followed his older brother Clarrie 'Spot' Horder, and younger brother, Roy Horder, who all played for Souths.
Mr Horder won premierships with Souths in 1914 and 1918 and also with Norths in 1921–22. He represented NSW and Australia on many occasions. In 1918 he overtook Herbert 'Dally' Messenger's record for most points scored in a career — 379 points — even though he continued to play in Sydney until 1924. When he left the Sydney premiership his total points scored were 758 points, which stood as a record until it was bettered by Arthur Oxford in 1927.
Mr Horder also captain-coached the Coorparoo club in the BRL premiership between 1925–26 and represented Queensland. He coached Coorparoo in 1927 and then turned to refereeing until 1930.
In 2004 he was inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame at the Dally M Awards in Sydney and he was also named by Souths in their Dream Team of players between 1908 and 2004. In 2006 he was named at winger in the North Sydney Bears' Team of the Century and in 2008 was selected as one of the 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.
Mr Horder was endowed with Life Membership at Souths in 1966 (No. 30). He passed away in 1978 at South Brisbane, aged 84.
Ken Stephen: A Servant of the Game
Souths 1949
Kenneth Gibson Stephen was born in 1926 in Taree, NSW, and served in the Royal Australian Navy during WWII as a Writer on the HMAS Penguin, between 1944–46 (Service No. S/9281).
The talented country pivot represented Country in the annual City-Country fixture in 1947, while he was playing for Gerringong, as well as Group Seven and The Rest of NSW against Queensland, in the same year.
Mr Stephen came to Sydney in 1948 and played three first grade premiership games for Balmain, as well as representing City Firsts and NSW in one game. But a bad injury ruled him out of the NSW v New Zealand fixture, and he did not play for the rest of the year. The following season he moved to the Rabbitohs, where he played another eight first grade games, and retired owing to another bad injury.
While he only had a brief career in Sydney football, it was in his role as a long-serving secretary of the NSWRL that he was to make a lasting mark. In 1967, he succeeded Harold Matthews and following the appointment of John Quayle in 1983, took on the role of Administrative Manager.
Mr Stephen passed away in 1988, aged 62. His contribution to the Greatest Game of All is perpetuated by the Ken Stephen Award for services to the game and to the community.
Denis Donoghue: Top Rabbit
Souths 1948–57
Denis Reginald Donoghue was born in 1926 at Redfern (Sydney) and served in the Royal Australian Navy during WWII as an Able Seaman on the HMAS Platypus, between 1945–46 (Service No. S/10258). He was the Royal Australian Navy Boxing champion before joining the Rabbitohs.
The Souths junior was one of the toughest and most brutal players to ever play the Greatest Game of All and is regarded as one of Australia's greatest hookers. He was also peerless as an enforcer.
Mr Donoghue was part of the Rabbitohs sides which appeared in six successive grand finals, winning five of them in 1950–51 and 1953–55. He also represented NSW and Australia several times.
His nickname was 'Top Rabbit' and he left the club in 1958 to captain-coach the Collegians club in the Illawarra competition but returned to the Rabbitohs as coach from 1959–63. After his retirement he had a long career with Souths in administration during the Rabbitohs' last 'golden era' in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which ended as the Club Presidents from 1967 to 1973. He was one of 14 people who were the first to be inducted as Life Members of Souths.
He died in 1993 at the age of 67.
Les Heath: Served with Honour
Souths 1924–26
Leslie George Heath was born in 1903 at Bulahdelah, which is a little town on the NSW mid-north coast and lies 93 km north-east of Newcastle. He lied about his age by making himself two years older when he first enlisted with the Royal Australian Navy in 1919, when he was only sixteen years old, as an Able Seaman (Service No. 11765).
After his naval duties ended he moved to Sydney and captained Souths' Presidents Cup side in 1924. Later that season he was graded by the Rabbitohs and played until 1926 in their lower grades.
Between 1942 and 1945 he served in the Australian Army during WWII as a Private with the 4 Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps Part Time Duty (Service No. N459294).
Mr Heath then moved to Kendall (also on the NSW mid-north coast), where he worked as a fireman. He died in 1967 at Wallsend (Newcastle), aged 63.
Len Haskins: The Local Junior
Souths 1948-50
Leonard Harold Haskins was born in 1926 in Sydney, NSW, and served in the Royal Australian Navy as an Ordinary Seaman on the HMAS Penguin, between 1944 -46 (Service No. S/9771).
The Maroubra SLSC and Coogee junior was graded by Souths when he returned home, playing in seven first grade games for the Rabbitohs between 1948-50. In 1951 he captain-coached Coffs Harbour Diggers and represented Temora in the 1952 Maher Cup. Later that season he moved back to Sydney where he linked with Eastern Suburbs and played one more game in the first grade premiership.
Mr Haskins passed away in 2006, aged 79.
George Burchmore
Souths 1909
George William Burchmore was born in 1888 at Waterloo (Sydney), NSW, and he served in the Royal Australian Navy during WWI as an Able Seaman on the HMS Challenger, between 1910-15 (Service No. S-55A).
Mr Burchmore played in only lower grades for Souths in 1909. He died in 1939, aged 51, and is buried at Rookwood General Cemetery, Sydney. His Deceased Estate noted that he was working as an engineer and lived at Arncliffe at the time of his death.
Erskine Crawford
Souths 1948
Erskine Crawford was born in 1925 at Yenda (near Griffith), NSW, and he served in the Royal Australian Navy during WWII as a Coder, between 1943–46 (Service No. 25411). His first name was sometimes incorrectly published as Ted.
Mr Crawford was a bit of a journeyman, and he came to Souths in 1948 after playing for Wests Brisbane in the strong BRL premiership. He played in four first grade games for the Rabbitohs in his only season, also scoring a try. He died in 1987 at Thirroul (Wollongong) at the age of 61.
Len Frost
Souths 1944
Leonard Charles Frost was born in 1921 in Sydney, NSW, and he served in the Royal Australian Navy during WWII as a Seaman on the HMAS Rushcutter, between 1943–45 (Service No. S/V459).
The Souths junior played lower grades for Souths, same as his younger brother Joe did in 1946–47. Mr Frost died in Western Australia in 1982, aged 61.
Reg Gillett
Redfern United 1915
Reginald Arthur Gillett was born in 1898 at Paddington (Sydney), NSW, and he served in the Royal Australian Navy during WWI as an Able Seaman, between 1916–18 (Service No. 3860).
The war restricted his playing record to just one season with Redfern United in 1915, who were affiliated with Souths in the third grade premiership.
Mr Gillett died in 1981 at West Ryde (Sydney), aged 83.
Bill Hackett Jnr
Souths 1948
William Patrick Hackett was born in 1922 in Ultimo (Sydney), NSW, and first served in the Royal Australian Air Force during WWII as Aircraftman 2 with the 2 Embarkation Depot Bradfield Park unit in 1942 (Service No. 424916). He then served in the Royal Australian Navy on the HMAS Rushcutter, as a TELEG (a.k.a. wireless telegraphist), between 1944–46 (Service No. S9586).
Upon his return home from war service, the Maroubra SLSC junior was graded by Souths in 1948–49, where he played only lower grades. In 1950–51 he went back to playing for his junior club, and in 1952–54 was graded by Easts, where he managed to play in seven first grade games for the Tricolours.
His father, Bill Hackett Snr, played for South Sydney Kinkora in 1915 and South Sydney in 1916–21.
Mr Hackett later moved to live at Parkes and Tuncurry (near Forster), where he died at his home in Parkes Street in 1999, aged 77.
Eric Jones
Souths 1948
Eric Alfred Jones was born in 1923 at Balmain (Sydney), NSW, and first served in the Australian Army during WWII as a Private with the 3 Aust. Tank Bde W/S AEME unit, between 1941–43 (Service No. N228902). He then enlisted with the Royal Australian Navy between 1943–46 as a Stoker on the HMAS Rushcutter (Service No. S/8127).
He played only one season with the Rabbitohs lower grades, which was 1948.
Mr Jones died in 2021 at Lake Munmorah (Central Coast), NSW, aged 97.
Herb McCarthy
Souths 1929
Herbert Faulkner McCarthy was born in 1907 in Riverstone (Sydney), and he first served in the Australian Army during WWII as a Lieutenant with the 3 L of C Postal Unit in 1944 (Service No. NX194178/N280033). On 1st December 1944 he enlisted with the Royal Australian Navy as a Lieutenant (SP) on the HMAS Lonsdale, between 1944–45.
Mr McCarthy played lower grades with Souths in 1929, then moved to Wests in 1930–32, where he also just played in lower grades.
He died in 1987 at Maroubra (Sydney), aged 80.
Frank Murphy
Souths 1945
Francis Murphy was born in 1923 at Randwick (Sydney) and served in the Royal Australian Navy as LDG Store Assistant on the HMAS Rushcutter, between 1941–46 (Service No. S5517).
The Mascot junior played in only one game for the Rabbitohs, which was in the 1945 third grade premiership.
Mr Murphy passed away in 1980, aged 57.
George O'Dowd
Souths 1940
George Ralph O'Dowd was born in 1920 at Paddington (Sydney), and first served in the Australian Army during WWII as a Private with the 9 Field Ambulance unit, between 1940–42 (Service No. N57536). He also served in the Royal Australian Navy as a Leading Seaman on the HMAS Penguin, between 1942–46 (Service No. S/6202).
He played lower grades with Souths in 1940 and his playing career was cut short owing to WWII.
Mr O'Dowd died in 2011, aged 90.
Carrying Their Memory Forward
This jersey is more than a commemorative strip. It is a direct acknowledgement of the men who wore our colours and then went to serve something even greater. Their names deserve to be remembered, not just on Anzac Day, but in the broader story of who this Club is and where it came from.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are proud to honour the Royal Australian Navy's 125th anniversary and the remarkable individuals who connect our two great institutions.
Lest we forget.
Special thanks to Rabbitohs Club Historian Michael Curin for his outstanding work collating the historical information and photographs that made this story possible.
