The National Rugby League season opener between South Sydney and Brisbane was once "a battle of haves and have nots," according to Richard Hinds of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. Rabbitohs vs. Broncos was the "prime example of the vast and seemingly permanent gulf on and off the field between the Sydney strugglers and the wealthy northern juggernaut." Now, "on the back of the premiership" that completed South Sydney's "incredible resurrection," you will not find "more impressive figures." To emphasize that '14 was a "feel-good story for the club's accountants as well as their fans, the Rabbitohs can supply a long list of key indicators." Membership is "already up" 2,000 on last year's 30,000. There have been "significant boosts in sponsorship and merchandise sales." Rabbitohs' fans had "far more eyeballs on TV screens and websites as well as the twitchiest Twitter fingers in the NRL -- handy figures when current sponsorship contracts expire." Most significantly the club recorded a net profit of A$2M ($1.56M). The Rabbitohs now "require the sustained period of success that is far more difficult to accomplish in a competition where the salary cap and offshore bidders can quickly alter the landscape." The club is also "now acutely aware how rapidly yesterday's heroes can become today's
villains." The A$20,000 ($15,600) South Sydney was fined for "failing to accurately report"
the misbehavior of players at an Arizona training camp might be "loose
change given their premiership riches." But it brought an "abrupt end to
the feel-good story" of '14. Financially and competitively the Rabbitohs have "moved out of the shadow of their past." The club's membership base grew to more than 30,000 in '14, generating revenues of more than A$3.7M ($2.9M) annually; up 11.5% (Membership is about to top 32,000 for 2015). Corporate sponsorship lifted to more than A$7.4M ($5.8M) annually, up 8%. Merchandise revenues were in excess of A$3.5M ($2.74M) in '14, up 15% (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 3/5).
