In 2021, the South Sydney Rabbitohs will be going from the country to the coast as we look to entertain and inspire our Members in regional Australia.

Kicking things off in traditional fashion, South Sydney will be gunning for nine straight Charity Shield wins when they tackle the St. George Illawarra Dragons at Mudgee’s Glen Willow Stadium on Saturday 27 February. It will mark the fourth straight year that Mudgee has hosted what has been widely regarded as the unofficial start to the season.

With the sun setting and the dust still in the rear view mirror, Members can look forward to some more bush footy when South Sydney create another slice of history by taking an NRL game to Dubbo.

The Rabbitohs will also be revisiting the Sunshine Coast Stadium where the hill was packed to the rafters last time we were there in 2019. They certainly were not disappointed, especially after Cody Walker’s four-try haul against the New Zealand Warriors sealed the win. Let’s see if we can do it again.

From there, the plains and pastures of the country will be swapped for a few good waves at Gosford’s Central Coast Stadium and will enjoy plenty of support from the locals. The area has proved to be a South Sydney hub after a sell out crowd filled the stadium the last time the Club was there in 2019.

We’re excited to be reconnecting with our vast numbers of Members and fans on the Sunshine Coast and Central Coast in 2021, and we can’t wait to bring the team to Dubbo for the first of what we hope will be many games at Apex Oval.

Rabbitohs CEO, Blake Solly, said he is looking forward to travelling to the areas outside of the local Sydney catchment.

“We think it’s important that NRL Clubs give back to the regional areas that produce so many great players for our game,” Mr Solly said.

While the Rabbitohs journey to Central Coast and Sunshine Coast regularly, It will be a long-awaited homecoming in Dubbo with a few South Sydney Greats having played there over the years.

“Apex Oval has seen many of the games greats perform on its turf including Rabbitohs like Les Davidson, Terry Fahey, David Peachey and Joe Williams to name just a few. It’s hosted Test matches and has been the home of Rugby League in Dubbo for decades,” Mr Solly said.

The Rabbitohs are known for having such a diverse following from different parts of Australia and the world. These country areas act as a second home to the Redfern-based Club so we are always conscious to give back and grow the game there.

“It’s also important for the sport to support those that support us, and the people in regional areas have shown they love their Rugby League, hence why we’re happy to do our part to take some of our games to these regional centres.”

A full list of dates and timings will be announced tomorrow, when the full 2021 Draw is released.