Get Ready Everyone: Set to Release Netflix Documentary “The South Sydney Legacy: A Journey Through Team and Bands”
In a year already bursting with streaming content, Netflix is about to drop something that’s part sports history, part musical odyssey—and all heart. The South Sydney Legacy: A Journey Through Team and Bands is more than a documentary. It’s a time capsule, a cultural beat, and a love letter to one of Australia’s most storied rugby league clubs—and the punk, indie, and rock music scenes that pulsed alongside it.
Set to premiere globally next month, the film is already causing ripples. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Isla Hart, known for her piercingly emotional sports doc Chasing Winter, this new project dives into the blood-red soul of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, not just as a footy team, but as a symbol of identity, rebellion, and resilience.
But the twist? It’s not just about what happened on the pitch.
A Different Kind of Footy Film
When people think of rugby league documentaries, they picture big tackles, locker room speeches, and archival game footage. You’ll get all that here—but The South Sydney Legacy adds something bold and unexpected: music.
“We realized early on that South Sydney’s story wasn’t just about football,” says Hart. “It was about working-class roots, survival against odds, and a culture that spilled over into everything—from politics to punk bands.”
In the 80s and 90s, as the Rabbitohs were fighting off financial collapse, something was stirring in the pubs and garages of Redfern and Mascot. Gritty, loud, unapologetic bands like The Redfern Reverbs and Mascot Riot were belting out anthems that doubled as rallying cries for a community that felt overlooked and underestimated.
The doc weaves interviews with these musicians—many of whom grew up watching games at Redfern Oval—with testimonials from legendary Rabbitohs players. Archival footage blurs with grainy gig recordings, and just when you think it’s a sports story, a guitar riff tears in and says otherwise.
An Anthem for the Outsiders
Narrated by actor and lifelong Rabbitohs fan Hugh Jackman, the documentary follows the club from its founding in 1908 through its historic battles—on the field and in the boardrooms. But the heart of the film is the 1999 crisis, when the team was controversially excluded from the NRL competition, prompting a city-wide protest and one of the most passionate fan movements in Australian sports history.
“It was like watching our culture get erased,” says Danny Santoro, frontman of the short-lived punk outfit The Mascot Marchers. “We weren’t just writing songs. We were screaming for our community to be seen.”
From impromptu street concerts in protest rallies to behind-the-scenes footage of celebrity supporters like Russell Crowe and Peter Garrett stepping in to help, The South Sydney Legacy pulses with energy and emotion.
One of the documentary’s most powerful sequences overlays a 2001 protest march with a live acoustic version of Redfern Blues, a haunting track by singer-songwriter Lexi Tamou, recorded just months after the team’s reinstatement was announced.
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The Comeback That Inspired a Generation
The climax, naturally, is the 2014 NRL Grand Final—South Sydney’s first premiership in 43 years. But Hart avoids the usual victory-lap sentimentality.
“What made that win so emotional wasn’t just the scoreline,” she says. “It was the weight of everything behind it. The years of being told they didn’t belong. The music that kept them alive in spirit. The neighborhoods that never stopped chanting their name.”
In one unforgettable scene, the team’s celebration is cut with clips of backyard shows and dive bar gigs where musicians scream “Glory Glory to South Sydney” into battered microphones. The parallel rises—of team and sound—create a unique emotional crescendo that lingers long after the credits roll.
A Love Letter to the Locals
Part of what sets the documentary apart is its unwavering focus on the people. The film crew spent over a year embedded in the South Sydney community—interviewing old-timers, collecting stories in housing commission flats, and recording audio diaries from young musicians just starting out.
“South Sydney has always been a little different,” says longtime fan and community activist Maria Collins. “We take our hits, but we come back louder. That’s what this film gets so right.”
The film also features original tracks inspired by the team, composed by artists across genres—from gritty post-punk to Indigenous hip-hop. A soundtrack album is rumored to be in the works, potentially giving rise to a new cultural moment: sport-infused music revival.
Critics Are Buzzing
Though it hasn’t premiered yet, advance screenings at select film festivals in Australia and the UK have generated buzz. Variety called it “a bold and emotional reinvention of the sports documentary,” while The Guardian dubbed it “the most punk-rock rugby story ever told.”
And the Rabbitohs themselves? They’re on board.
Club captain Cam Murray, who appears briefly in the film, said, “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s not just about what we do on the field—it’s about what we represent. It’s about our people.”
Final Whistle
With Netflix gearing up for an international release, fans are already counting down the days. Whether you’re a diehard Rabbitohs supporter, a music history nerd, or just someone who loves a good underdog story, The South Sydney Legacy: A Journey Through Team and Bands promises to deliver something special.
So get ready, everyone. Clear your queue, plug in your speakers, and maybe dust off that old Rabbitohs jersey. This isn’t just a documentary—it’s a cultural explosion 117 years in the making.
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