South Sydney Rabbitohs Secure Partnership with AFA

The South Sydney Rabbitohs have announced a new partnership with American Football Australia (AFA), positioning the NRL club’s high-performance facility as the centralised training hub for Australia’s national flag football teams as they embark on their journey towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The alliance capitalises on flag football’s rapid global growth and its recent confirmation as an Olympic sport. It aims to accelerate the sport’s development in Australia at both community and elite levels, leveraging the Rabbitohs’ infrastructure and community reach.

The cornerstone of the collaboration is the utilisation of the world-class USANA Rabbitohs Centre in Maroubra. This facility will serve as the dedicated high-performance training base for both the men’s and women’s national squads as they prepare for a critical international schedule.

Affirming the importance of securing access to the NRL organisation’s premier asset, AFA CEO, Wade Kelly, said: “Centralising our teams at the Rabbitohs’ world-class USANA High Performance Centre gives our athletes the ideal environment to train and perform.”

Highlighting the strategic alignment, and noting the benefit of diversifying the club’s impact within the wider Australian sporting ecosystem, Rabbitohs CEO, Blake Solly, added: “With flag football set for its Olympic debut in 2028, this partnership comes at the perfect time.”

“We’re proud to support Australia’s athletes on the world stage and look forward to working closely with AFA on their journey to the 2026 World Championships and beyond,” Solly said.

The facility will immediately host the AFA Final Talent ID event on 29 November 2025, which aims to identify elite athletes for the 2026 high-performance program.

The timing of the partnership supports the national squads’ immediate performance objectives: preparation for the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Germany next August, a key qualification pathway for the LA 2028 Olympics.

The partnership represents an effective strategy for the Rabbitohs to maximise the utility of its Centre of Excellence, which was developed with joint government funding, by supporting Australian athletes in an emerging Olympic discipline while broadening the club’s corporate and sporting network.

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