The South Sydney Rabbitohs are mourning the passing of international forward, premiership-winner and life member, Gary Stevens.
Stevens, who won two first-grade premierships with South Sydney in 1970 and 1971 and played 11 Tests for Australia, .
In total, Stevens played 228 grade games for the Rabbitohs between 1964 and 1976, including 161 first-grade games. He also played 25 first-grade games for Canterbury-Bankstown in 1977 and 1978.
Stevens represented Australia in 11 Tests between 1972 and 1975, played seven interstate matches for New South Wales and three matches for City Firsts between 1972 and 1975, as well as representing City Seconds in 1971 and Sydney Colts in 1970.
Renowned for his fitness, Stevens had a reputation for destroying opposition attacking raids with his uncompromising defence.
He played in Souths' winning 1964 Presidents Cup side alongside Eric Simms and George Piggins, and made his first grade debut the following year. He also toured Papua New Guinea in 1965 with the Rabbitohs and played against PNG in 1966.
However, Souths had a host of great players in their ranks, and it was difficult for Stevens to establish a regular first grade position during his first five seasons at the club.
The club's former club historian, the late Tom Brock, said that Stevens' career demonstrates that not all international stars are instant successes.
He represented City Firsts in 1972 and 1974, New South Wales in 1972 and 1974-75 (six games), New South Wales Colts in 1972, before finally making his first international debut against New Zealand at the 1972 World Cup in Paris, when he was almost 29 years old.
Flashback: Queen Elizabeth II meets the Rabbitohs
Stevens created history by becoming the first grandson of a Test player to represent his country in rugby league, with his grandfather, Arthur Oxford Snr, who also played for Souths in 1915-21 and Easts in 1922-29, representing Australia in five Tests. His uncle, Arthur Oxford Jnr, played for Easts during the 1940s.
After touring with the 1973 Kangaroos, playing in two Tests against Great Britain and one against France, as well as five tour matches, Stevens played two Tests the following year against the visiting Great Britain side.
In 1975 he played in three World Cup games for Australia.
Stevens captained Souths on 25 occasions and served on their Social Committee in 1974-75, but left the Rabbitohs for Canterbury-Bankstown at the end of 1976 season.
His first season at Canterbury was cut short by illness but he returned with a vengeance in 1978 to be a regular member of their first-grade team and played in the preliminary semi-final against Parramatta before retiring.
Stevens co-owned a very successful building firm with former teammate John O'Neill, continuing to support the Rabbitohs well after his retirement and was a regular attendee at the Club’s player reunions and Men of League functions.
He was inducted as a Life Member of the South Sydney Football Club at the 81st Annual General Meeting held at the South Sydney Leagues Club in Redfern on December 4, 1988.
- Courtesy South Sydney Rabbitohs
