The South Sydney Rabbitohs, in partnership with Campbelltown City Council and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, can today confirm our first full-format trial match of 2017 is to be played at Campbelltown Stadium against the Sea Eagles on February 11th at 7:30pm.
In recognition of the encouraging growth of our South-Western Sydney based Members over recent years, the Rabbitohs will return to Campbelltown Stadium for the first time since 1999 when Sean Garlick led the Rabbitohs to a 16-10 victory over the Western Suburbs Magpies.
To add to the excitement of the day, Campbelltown Stadium will also play host to both an NYC clash between the Rabbitohs and Sea Eagles and a match between the North Sydney Bears and the Blacktown Workers R.L.F.C. prior to the main game.
The Rabbitohs have a great relationship and engagement with the South West Sydney area thanks in large part to the tireless work of Souths Cares in developing and implementing Rabbitohs Primary, New Careers for Aboriginal People and the Juvenile Justice Joint Support Program in the area.
The Rabbitohs have also actively involved themselves in the region through participation in the Festival of Fisher’s Ghost, appearances during Christmas Carols at Campbelltown Stadium and running football clinics at the Macquarie Fields Indoor Centre and St Gregory’s College with Beau Champion and Roy Asotasi.
“South-West Sydney is one of our strongest Member areas, with over 4000 Members in the region, and we know they want more opportunities to see quality NRL matches,” said Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly.
“We’ve listened to those Members and we’re really excited to be able to provide this opportunity at Campbelltown Stadium. We’ve done a lot of work with Campbelltown City Council and other community groups to support and service the community over recent years and I’m proud we’re able to continue that work with this trial match.”
"The South-West Sydney region is a big influence in helping us achieve our goal of 35,000 Members in 2017."
Rabbitohs Head Coach Michael Maguire is eager to use the opportunity to see his squad in action after adding several new faces to the mix.
“We’ve got a lot of depth in all positions in our squad now so I’m expecting some strong performances from my players coming off the back of this pre-season,” said Maguire.
“It’ll be a good chance for myself and my assistants [Dave Furner and Anthony Seibold] to get a proper look at what we’ve been building at the Rabbitohs and to further develop the combinations that will come from the hard work we put into this pre-season.
“It will also be a good opportunity for us to connect with our South-Western Sydney Members who are proving to be a big part of where we’re going as a Club.”
The trip to Campbelltown Stadium will be the first time the Sea Eagles have played there since beating the Wests Tigers in Round 20 of the 2013 season.
Current Manly players Brett Stewart, Jorge Taufua, Steve Matai, Daly Cherry-Evans, and Brenton Lawrence played in the 36-18 win on a Monday night in Campbelltown.
“We are fortunate to be able to play Souths in a genuine trial match at Campbelltown. They have plenty of quality players and it will be a good test for us early,’’ Barrett said.
“I’m looking to field our strongest team against South Sydney. It is important we hit the ground running in round one.”
Mayor of Campbelltown, Cr George Brticevic said the game was a great opportunity to showcase Campbelltown’s premier sporting venue.
“Campbelltown is the regional city centre of south west Sydney, and we welcome all opportunities to showcase the city to a wide audience,” Cr Brticevic said.
“We are located in one of the most significant growth corridors in NSW, and with that growth comes further opportunities for sport and entertainment for our local people and visitors to our city.
“The Stadium is a versatile sporting and entertainment venue, has great public transport access and ample parking which makes it the ideal location to host a match such as this. I would like to thank the South Sydney Rabbitohs for choosing Campbelltown to host their team for the first time since 1999, and I encourage everyone to make sure they get along to the match to enjoy the game day atmosphere that only Campbelltown Sports Stadium can offer.”
Rabbitohs Members will benefit from discounted entry and priority purchase.
