Redfern All Blacks

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
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)

The Redfern All Blacks 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.

History[]

Redfern All Blacks is the oldest Indigenous Australian rugby league club in Australia.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] The club was officially founded by a group of non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal people in 1944,^[5] but some accounts suggest the team goes back to around the time of the Great Depression.^[3]^[4]^[6]^[7] 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.^[8] Socially, culturally and politically, the club was important to many Indigenous Australias in Redfern at the time, and the club today is central to the history of Aboriginal Redfern.^[9]^[10] Before the Knockout began, in 1969, Redfern's rugby team had already made legacy for itself and the team were invited to play in New Zealand against the local Maori team in 1971. The All Blacks left a significant impression on the Kiwis, defeating the Maori team in a number of games.

In 1973, the Redfern All Blacks became one of the founding member clubs that formed the inaugural NSW Koori Knockout in which seven teams participated.

Notable team members[]

Bobby McLeod
Michael Mundine
Tony Mundine
Shane Phillips, CEO of Tribal Warrior

Notable players to play for Redfern All Blacks[]

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)

References[]

^ 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.
^ "Redfern All Blacks Rugby League Club". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
^ ^a ^b "About Us: Who are the Redfern All Blacks (RAB)". SportingPulse. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
^ ^a ^b "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.
^ Ada Lee (1 April 2013). "All Blacks the team to beat". The South Sydney Herald. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
^ ^a ^b Charles "Chicka" Madden. "The Redfern All Blacks". A History of Aboriginal Sydney. University of Sydney. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
^ Charles "Chicka" Madden. "Making Tracks: Chicka Madden". A History of Aboriginal Sydney. University of Sydney. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
^ "Liquor poll postponed in 41 places". Barrier Miner. 15 February 1947. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
^ Heidi Norman (2011). "Aboriginal Rugby League in Sydney". Dictionary of Sydney. Dictionary of Sydney Trust. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
^ National Museum of Australia. "Ken Brindle". National Museum of Australia. Retrieved 9 April 2013.

External links[]

[1970DawnonKooriHistoryWeb-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.

[DictionaryofSydney-2] "Redfern All Blacks Rugby League Club". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 9 April 2013.

[SportingPulse2008-3] "About Us: Who are the Redfern All Blacks (RAB)". SportingPulse. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2013.

[RabbitohsNASCA-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.

[SSHerald2013-5] Ada Lee (1 April 2013). "All Blacks the team to beat". The South Sydney Herald. Retrieved 9 April 2013.

[UniSydRABS-6] Charles "Chicka" Madden. "The Redfern All Blacks". A History of Aboriginal Sydney. University of Sydney. Retrieved 9 April 2013.

[UniSydTracks-7] Charles "Chicka" Madden. "Making Tracks: Chicka Madden". A History of Aboriginal Sydney. University of Sydney. Retrieved 9 April 2013.

[LiquorPoll-8] "Liquor poll postponed in 41 places". Barrier Miner. 15 February 1947. Retrieved 10 April 2013.

[HeidiAboriginalRLinSyd-9] Heidi Norman (2011). "Aboriginal Rugby League in Sydney". Dictionary of Sydney. Dictionary of Sydney Trust. Retrieved 10 April 2013.

[KBrindleNMA-10] National Museum of Australia. "Ken Brindle". National Museum of Australia. Retrieved 9 April 2013.

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