Redfern All Blacks

The Redfern All Blacks, also known as RABs or Redfern, are an Indigenous Australian semi-professional rugby league club based in Redfern, New South Wales, They are a part of the South Sydney District Junior Rugby Football League.

Redfern All Blacks

Club information
Full name	Redfern All Blacks Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)	RABs
Short name	All Blacks
Colours	Black   White
Founded	1944; 81 years ago (1944)
Current details
Ground(s)	Redfern Oval
Chairman	Lisa Williams
Coach	Dean Widders
Captain	Dean Widders
Competition	Sydney Combined Competition South Sydney District Junior Rugby Football League NSWRL Women's Premiership
Records
Premierships	6 (1974, 1987, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

History

Redfern All Blacks is the oldest Indigenous Australian rugby league club in Australia.^[1][2][3][4] It was co-founded in 1938 by Bill Onus and Wesley Simms,^[5] during the Great Depression.^[3][4][6][7] Some reports suggest that the club was officially established by a group of non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal people in 1944.^[8]

The club, often referred to as RABs or Redfern, was named after their black guernseys, part of the uniform provided by the South Sydney District Junior Rugby Football League in their first playing season.^[6] At the time the club was formed, Aboriginal Australians were denied rights afforded to other Australians.^[9] Socially, culturally and politically, the club was important to many Indigenous Australians in Redfern at the time, and the club today is central to the history of Aboriginal Redfern.^[10][11]

In 1969, Redfern's rugby team had already made a name for itself, and the team were invited to play in New Zealand against the local Māori team in 1971. The All Blacks left a significant impression on the Kiwis, defeating the Maori team in a number of games.^{[citation needed]}

In 1971, the Redfern All Blacks became one of the founding member clubs that formed the inaugural NSW Koori Knockout in which seven teams participated.^[12]

Notable players

• Matthew Allwood
• Josh Addo-Carr
• Andrew Dunemann
• Solomon Haumono
• Greg Inglis
• Bobby McLeod
• Nathan Merritt
• Anthony Mundine
• Tony Mundine
• Wes Patten
• Shane Phillips, CEO of Tribal Warrior
• Reece Robinson
• Travis Robinson
• Gorden Tallis
• Darrell Trindall
• Dean Widders
• Jonathan Wright

Honours and records

• South Sydney District Junior Rugby Football League (A Grade)
  • Six: 1974, 1987, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
• NSW Koori Knockout Men Titles
  • Eight: 1972, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 1993, 2015, 2016
• Koori vs. Murri Interstate Challenge
  • One: 2017
• NSWRL Women's Premiership Titles
  • Two: 2005, 2017
• NSW Koori Knockout Women Titles
  • Five: 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

2018 A Grade Squad

Redfern All Blacks

2018 Squad								Coaching staff
1 Kieran Mundine – FB  2 Travis Robinson – WG  3 Kieran Vale – CE  4 Liam Talivaa – CE  5 Kyle Mundine – WG  6 Kareel Phillips – FE  7 Michael Moran – HB  8 Shaun Mealey – PR  9 Cameron Dennis – HK 10 Dean Widders (c) – PR 11 Stephen Ryan – SR 12 Robert Ryan – SR 13 Steven Winters – LK		14 Heath Fernando 15 Trent Robinson 16 Luciano Svagelli 17 Peni Roqica 18 Matthew Hickey 19 Dean Jr Widders 20 Craig McKenzie 21 Dylan Grant 22 Nayden Simon 23 Sam Hampton 24 Troy Gordon 25 Ezekiel Phillips 26 Rhys Haynes						Head coach Dean Widders Legend: (c) Captain(s) (vc) Vice-captain(s)

See also

• Sports portal
• New South Wales portal

• List of rugby league clubs in Australia
• List of senior rugby league clubs in New South Wales

References

1. Ken Brindle (June 1970). "Items of Interest from NSW Aborigines Welfare Board's Magazine "Dawn": Redfern All Blacks". New Dawn. New Dawn (on The Koori History Website). Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
2. "Redfern All Blacks Rugby League Club". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
3. "About Us: Who are the Redfern All Blacks (RAB)". SportingPulse. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
4. "Rabbitohs and NASCA form new alliance". Press Release. South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
5. Kleinert, Sylvia (2011). "Bill Onus". Design & Art Australia Online. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
6. Charles "Chicka" Madden. "The Redfern All Blacks". A History of Aboriginal Sydney. University of Sydney. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
7. Charles "Chicka" Madden. "Making Tracks: Chicka Madden". A History of Aboriginal Sydney. University of Sydney. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
8. Ada Lee (1 April 2013). "All Blacks the team to beat". The South Sydney Herald. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
9. "Liquor poll postponed in 41 places". Barrier Miner. 15 February 1947. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
10. Heidi Norman (2011). "Aboriginal Rugby League in Sydney". Dictionary of Sydney. Dictionary of Sydney Trust. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
11. National Museum of Australia. "Ken Brindle". National Museum of Australia. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
12. "Aboriginal Rugby League in Sydney | The Dictionary of Sydney". dictionaryofsydney.org. Retrieved 16 May 2024.

Further reading

• Sportingpulse^{[dead link‍]}
• Redfern Oral History - RABs page
• Portrait of the Redfern All Blacks 1979 Portrait by Michael Riley
• Jackie Hartley, Black, White... And Red? The Redfern All Blacks Rugby League Club in the Early 1960s, Labour History, No. 83 (Nov., 2002), Australian Society for the Study of Labour History, Inc.
• John Lester, You can take the black kid out of Redfern but you can't take the Redfern out of the black kid!, presentation to Perspectives on Urban Life: Connections and Reconnections AIATSIS National Indigenous Studies Conference 2009.

External links

• Official website
• Redfern All Blacks on Facebook