- The South Sydney co-owner has been linked to a big move
- Star has been involved with the Rabbitohs NRL team since 2006
Russell Crowe has described a report he is looking to sell NRL club South Sydney as “nonsense”.
Reports emerged on Monday that the Hollywood actor is set to sell his 25 per cent stake in the Rabbitohs, which he bought with businessman Peter Holmes à Court for $3 million in 2006.
But in a statement provided to the Australian Associate Press, Crowe advised journalists to make the most of the Australian weather rather than worrying about their businesses.
“Just tell them it's nonsense and advise them to enjoy the summer sun,” Crowe said.
The Rabbitohs declined to comment publicly when contacted.
South Sydney finished the 2006 season in last place after Crowe and Holmes à Court purchased the team earlier that year by narrowly winning a vote put to the club's 3000+ members at the time.
Russell Crowe (pictured with Anthony Albanese) has emphatically denied a bombshell report that he is trying to sell his stake in the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The Gladiator star (pictured at a Souths match in 2023) currently owns 25 per cent of the club.
Crowe brought the glitz and glamor of Hollywood to the club almost immediately, famously dressing players in Armani gear and attracting megastars like Tom Cruise and Chris Hemsworth to games.
After winning the minor premiership in 1989, the club fell on extremely difficult times financially and competitively, leading to its exclusion from the NRL in 1999.
The Bunnies were reinstated in 2002 after a lengthy court battle, but their struggles continued until the change of ownership.
Starting in the 2007 season, the team went on a run that culminated in victory in the 2015 grand final to record a record 21st premiership victory.
Another grand final followed in 2021, when the Rabbitohs lost to Penrith, and the team remained competitive until failing to make the final eight in 2023, then dropping to a disappointing 16th in the standings last year.
It was a horror season that saw coach Jason Demetriou sacked and the team's best player, Latrell Mitchell, punished by club bosses after his white powder scandal followed a series of injuries and on-field controversies. that ruined the fullback's year.
Crowe (pictured at a Bunnies game in 2018) played a leading role in turning the team from losers to premierships after taking over in 2006.
But despite that, Souths remain in a good financial position, with the club posting profits over the past seven years, including $14 million in 2024.
Crowe's takeover was far from a sure thing, as he and Holmes à Court's candidacy only garnered 32 votes, with 3,942 members voting.
“This means we have a future, we have a future and we have cash in the bank and we can start focusing on what all the factionalism and infighting prevents us from focusing on what it is to play football.” and play it competitively,” Crowe told the club's fans after the victory.
The explosive report is not the first time the star has been linked to selling his shares in the team.
In 2012, Souths announced it was selling its 37.5 per cent stake before Crowe changed his mind.
'There is a personal equation here. He has a young family. “Obviously his commitments to work have been excessive over the last 18 months,” said then-Rabbitohs president Nicholas Pappas, referring to Crowe's separation from his then-wife Danielle Spencer.