The South Sydney Rabbitohs are determined to honour the legacy of Olympic gold medallist Cathy Freeman when they face Parramatta in Saturday’s Indigenous Round clash.
Freeman will ring the club’s Legacy Bell prior to the game, with Rabbitohs Indigenous legend Greg Inglis to lead the team on to the field.
Australia’s golden girl of the 2000 Sydney Olympics united the nation when she claimed gold in the 400m sprint, just days after lighting the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony.
Freeman has continued to inspire Indigenous communities in the two decades since retiring and has developed a close relationship with the Rabbitohs over the years.
The Olympic champion, whose grandfather was Indigenous pioneer Frank Fisher, met the Rabbitohs after their clash with Melbourne earlier this year and will travel to Sydney for Saturday’s game.
South Sydney have long been viewed as a positive force in Indigenous communities, with 11 of the current men’s squad Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We are moving forward together
Freeman and Inglis were captured in an iconic photo in the Rabbitohs dressing rooms after the side’s drought-breaking 2014 grand final victory and Tallis Duncan said it’s important to honour their legacy on and off the field.
“[Freeman’s gold medal] is something you learn about growing up,” Duncan, a Wonnarua man, said. “The run is amazing but then you learn a little bit about what was behind it and there was a bit more going on than just the run.
“It was pretty amazing what she did and she’s someone I’ll be looking forward to seeing on the weekend.
“[Meeting Cathy] is one of those moments where you pinch yourself, you’re looking at an Indigenous Australian icon. I’ve only seen her on murals and YouTube videos so to meet her is pretty special and makes you look at how far I’ve come on my journey.”
South Sydney’s clash with Parramatta comes on the second day of a three-day festival of rugby league at Allianz Stadium.
The venue will host the inaugural Gadhu Gathering, with the Roosters to launch the event against the Bulldogs on Friday night.
The Wests Tigers will close out proceedings on Sunday with an NRL-NRLW double header. The Tigers women will take on St George Illawarra before the men face Manly.
While Allianz Stadium has had challenges with the surface over the past 18 months, Tigers skipper Api Koroisau is confident the pitch will hold up.
“I think it will be ok,” Koroisau said. “I don’t know how hard it is for greenskeepers to keep it in good nick but they’ve been doing a great job all season so I’m sure it’ll be good to go.”
All-time record in his sights
The Rabbitohs clash on Saturday night could be a historic occasion on multiple fronts.
Winger Alex Johnston, a Koedal Klan Saibai man, needs just three tries to draw level with Ken Irvine on the NRL’s all-time try-scoring list.
Irvine has stood untouched atop the list for half a century with 212 tries, a record many considered would never be broken.
While the Rabbitohs have endured a tough season, Duncan said the opportunity to share in history is a motivating factor for the squad.
“He’s the best at what he does and what he does is score tries,” Duncan said. “The weekend is testament to that, he was in the right place at the right time and he makes it look easier than it is. A lot of the time Trell and Cody [Walker] don’t have to look, they just pass to the right place and AJ’s there every time.
“Everyone’s really excited for the record, the boys are talking about who wants to be the one that throws the pass. That’s how excited we are for him and how special it will be.
“It will be a massive achievement for AJ and everyone’s scratching to be part of it. It’s a testament to AJ how proud we are for him.”
