1 month ago
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At any given moment, in the remotest corners of the globe, you will inevitably find them.
Even when far from their natural habitat of Redfern, they roam among us, wearing the iconic cardinal and myrtle colours. Like Forrest Gump, they are in the background of every major historical event, allowing trainspotters to play their very own version of “Where’s Wally”.
Welcome to the social media phenomenon that is “Random Souths Guy”.
If proof was ever needed that the best marketing campaigns are born organically rather than in focus-group meetings, here it is. All you need is a South Sydney jersey, an exotic locale and someone to take a photo. The less context, the better the meme.
Random Souths Guy represents a community of fans who have been snapped in some of the most far-flung destinations. Whether standing in front of Mexico’s Chichén Itzá, climbing into a Brisbane army tank or witnessing a New York Yankees baseball game, there will always be a Random Souths Guy.
“It’s always good to see a Random Souths Guy or Souths Girl at a Super Bowl, it gives us a giggle,” said South Sydney Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly.
A Souths fan amongst the crowd at the Trevi Fountain in Rome.Credit: Facebook
“I reckon the best one we were sent was a Random Souths Fan proposing at the Christ the Redeemer statue at Brazil in their Souths jersey.”
Now the foundation NRL club, having recognised the unique value behind the movement, has taken the extraordinary step of filing a trademark application for Random Souths Guy earlier this month.
“We know from the photos we see on social media and the things that people send us that our fans are very proud to wear the jersey at any sporting and entertainment event that they can,” Solly explained.
“Over the weekend I had people sending me photos from the tennis, the Big Bash final, of Rabbitohs fans in their jerseys.
A Rabbitohs fan amongst a crowd of mourners for Queen Elizabeth II.Credit: CNN
“So the Random Souths Guy is just that, it’s a phenomenon that’s unique to our club and in some ways unique to Australian sport.
“We’ve been on a journey since 2018 to own as much of our intellectual property as we can get.
“The NRL acknowledged back in 2018 that the clubs were the owners of their logos and their intellectual property, and since then we have been ensuring that the club’s ownership of intellectual property is protected for our members, fans and commercial partners.
“We feel that’s really important for now and the future. It’s something that American and European sporting clubs have been doing for many years and it’s something we wanted to follow to make sure that the club is protected.”
A Souths fan watches the wrestling at the WWE Crown Jewell in Perth.Credit: Facebook
Such is the popularity of the movement that “Random Souths Guy Sightings”, a Facebook page celebrating the phenomenon, has almost 47,000 followers.
While South Sydney’s trademark application seeks protections for a range of goods and services, from digital rights to sporting wear, Solly said there are no immediate plans to commercialise Random Souths Guy.
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“Not really, because the merch that Random Souths Guys and Girls love the most is our jerseys,” Solly said.
“In some ways, the fact they love wearing the jersey, in of itself, says it all. We don’t need to put any special merchandise out because they’re wearing the jerseys all around the world.”
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