A blank canvas was the Truganina Rabbitohs most valuable asset when they were admitted into NRL Victoria ranks.
The Rabbitohs did not have a history in the league to match some of the long-standing clubs, but they did have a chance to instil their own all-inclusive culture in proceedings from day one.
Rabbitohs president Joe Laga’aia believes the club’s foundation year has been the cornerstone to their success in year three.
The Rabbitohs are second on the ladder in the men’s second division with an 8-1 record. The women’s first-grade side is undefeated with an 8-0 record and the juniors are thriving with seven teams, up from three in the first year.
“I guess it has to do with the foundations that we’ve been building since day one,” Laga’aia said.
“We have a philosophy where we build the foundations correctly and build the culture and then the right people will come to the club.
“One of our values is unity, so both the men’s and women’s helped each other out in the pre-season and really gelled together and encouraged each other.”
Truganina has built a one in, all one culture.
The Rabbitohs do not put their senior players on a pedestal, nor are the players too big for their boots.
The seniors act as role models for the junior players.
“The senior teams, both men’s and women’s, have just added so much to what we’ve been building, which is what we’re really proud of,” Laga’aia said.
“They have really come together and really bought into the vision and the values of the club.
“What we’ve pushed with our seniors is that it’s not about them – it’s always about giving back to our juniors.”
Laga’aia is also the coach of the women’s team. He is excited by where the season is heading for his side, which is two-and-a-half games clear on top of the ladder.
“We’ve been so proud of our women’s team,” he said.
“The league is still building, but we’ve been able to come in this year and set the standards in women’s rugby league.”
The men’s team, coached by John Apulu, is also flying high, sitting in second spot on the ladder in its inaugural season.
The second division is a 15 team competition, made up of both reserve teams from first grade clubs and newly established expansion teams, including Hume City Bulldogs, Sunshine Cowboys, Pakenham Eels, Melton Broncos and Frankston Raiders.
The Rabbitohs are not shy in declaring their intentions of breaking away from the second tier sooner rather than later and gaining promotion to the first grade.
“One of our other values is excellence, so we’re always striving for excellence,” Laga’aia said.
“First grade is the goal, definitely.”
