First South Sydney mascot Reggie Rabbit shoved a nine-year-old boy during a game – now a footy star has revealed his gross stunt with junior players and a raw chicken

• Souths star Peter Mamouzelos grew up hating the Roosters
• Is ingrained to Rabbitohs players from a young age
• NRL arch-rivals square off this Friday at Accor Stadium

By JASPER BRUCE FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS and ANDREW PRENTICE FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Peter Mamouzelos still remembers his first taste of South Sydney’s rivalry with the Sydney Roosters: it involved a raw chicken and a retired panel beater dressed as a rabbit.

As Mamouzelos and the Rabbitohs’ under-16s Harold Matthews side prepared to face their arch rival at Redfern Oval in March 2017, Reggie Rabbit entered the dressing room.

Souths players had become used to listening when spoken to by the diminutive Reggie, the alter ego of former panel beater Charlie Gallico who has been the club’s mascot since their reinstatement into the NRL in 2002.

On this occasion, Reggie had brought along a prop to help him hype up the young players.

‘He gave us a little speech,’ Mamouzelos recalled ahead of Friday’s round five NRL clash with the Roosters.

‘He brought in a raw chicken and he said, ‘This morning, I went out and I caught myself a chicken!’ and he started pulling out this raw chicken.’

Peter Mamouzelos still remembers his first taste of South Sydney’s rivalry with the Roosters: it involved a raw chicken and a retired panel beater dressed as a rabbit

Reggie Rabbit is the alter ego of former panel beater Charlie Gallico (pictured) who has been the club’s mascot since their reinstatement into the NRL in 2002

Reggie mauled a raw chicken in the sheds before the under-16s game in 2017 to fire up the young guns – including Peter Mamouzelos

At first, Mamouzelos and his teammates didn’t know whether to be inspired or confused as Gallico gestured to the dead chicken.

‘We were 15 years old, looking at each other like, ‘What’s going on?’,’ he said.

But Reggie’s rev-up worked a treat for the young guns, who rode a 22-4 halftime lead to a 28-18 win over the Roosters.

‘Everyone was geed up, everyone ran out ready to run through a brick wall,’ he said ahead of his third NRL tussle with the Tricolours.

‘From a young age, it’s taught to you as a Souths player to hate the Roosters and as a Roosters player, to hate Souths.

‘You go to another level.’

The multicultural round clash marks Mamouzelos’ first time playing the Roosters as a starting hooker, having spent recent seasons stuck behind St George Illawarra recruit Damien Cook.

‘I just feel like my patience has been rewarded,’ the Greek international said.

‘I’ve had a lot of time to work on my game, and now that I’m here, I’m just trying to put my best foot forward and do my best every week.’

Reggie will also be on his best behaviour at Accor Stadium on Friday after coming under fire for a recent altercation with a child on game-day in round three at Shark Park.

Gallico has since apologised.

But Mamouzelos was hopeful that, for old time’s sake, the mascot would once again stop via the supermarket’s poultry aisle on the way to the game.

‘Hopefully Reggie does it again, get the boys up for it,’ he said with a laugh.

NRLSouth Sydney Rabbitohs

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First South Sydney mascot Reggie Rabbit shoved a nine-year-old boy during a game – now a footy star has revealed his gross stunt with junior players and a raw chicken

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