Souths end talk of relocation by building own beach

After unveiling the new state-of-the-art training facility at the redeveloped Redfern Oval - which will host a pre-season fixture against Wests Tigers next February - and announcing the retention of the club's major sponsors, officials yesterday declared Souths' future was secure and put paid to any possibility they would relocate.

"While we're disappointed to finish 14th this season, off the field we'd be the No.1 club in Sydney - if not the entire competition," chief executive Shane Richardson said. "In terms of the value represented on our jersey, we're probably only second to Brisbane, we'd be No.1 for overall sponsorship among the Sydney clubs, we're No.2 for crowds in Sydney, we've got the largest ticketed membership of all the Sydney clubs, we've got more members in general than any other Sydney club and we've now got the best training facility of any club in any code in Sydney."

With Virgin Blue and De'Longhi joining NAB in committing for another season, the Souths jersey is worth more than $2 million and the club still has a vacancy for a sleeve sponsor. Overall the Rabbitohs have more than $6 million committed from sponsors for next season and coupled with guaranteed income from 6800 season ticket-holders, who the club hopes will increase to 8000 by the start of next season, they are on track to generate a $15 million turnover in 2009.

"Most other clubs in Sydney would have a turnover of about $10 million without poker machines but ours is genuine turnover," Richardson said. "We do not rely on poker machines and we won't be in the future. From a club point of view we have never budgeted on it, we've had to get by without that support and a lot of other NRL clubs are now going to have to do that."

It's a far cry from the situation Souths were in nine years ago when the NRL ranked them last of all clubs in the criteria that was used to determine which teams were included in the 14 team competition that operated in 2000 and 2001 before the Rabbitohs were reinstated.

"I've got no doubt that we would be leading the pack of Sydney clubs but I don't like to talk about criteria," said Souths chairman Nicholas Pappas, who was the club's lawyer when the Rabbitohs successfully appealed their omission from the NRL in court. "We've come a long way since 1999 and 2001, those difficult years, but we knew we would get here and planting the flag here in Redfern is deeply symbolic because it is a place that is deeply entrenched in the Rabbitohs psyche and entrenches this club in Sydney once and for all."

Due for completion in two months, the $23 million facility will be home to Souths players when they begin off-season training on November 3 and boasts a field with an 8000 capacity as well as gymnasium that will have $500,000 of weight machines and a theatrette for team meetings and video sessions.

Photo: Craig Golding

Source: www.smh.com.au/news/news/souths-end-talk-of-relocation-by-building-own-beach/2008/09/02/1220121234104.html