How Anthony Albanese put his own special touch on this year’s NRL grand final rings

NRL fanatic Anthony Albanese might be busy running the country, but he’s found the time to design the 2023 Premiership rings that will presented to each player from the victorious team in this year’s grand final.

Working with Sydney’s Affinity Diamonds, the South Sydney Rabbitohs diehard has been inspired by some iconic Australiana with his design choice.

The PM has incorporated yellow sapphires to represent the Commonwealth of Australia Floral Emblem, Golden Wattle. An emu and a kangaroo also feature in the design.

The rings, valued at $10,000, will also be presented to the winning NRLW team too, with Newcastle Knights taking on the Gold Coast Titans in that fixture.

‘As a rugby league fan, it truly is an honour to work with Affinity Diamonds to design these incredibly important rings for the winners of the men’s and women’s NRL grand final,’ Prime Minister Albanese said. 

The PM has incorporated yellow sapphires to represent the Commonwealth of Australia floral emblem, the golden wattle

‘The design I have chosen gives a nod to our Australian national flower, the Golden Wattle and includes yellow sapphires. 

‘This is the first time these stones have been used and I know the players will wear these rings with pride.’ 

Highly respected broadcaster Ray Warren designed the rings for the 2022 grand final winners – and gave a nod to his beloved St George Dragons on the jewellery.

Over the years the rings have been designed by Johnathan Thurston, former NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller and an ICU nurse during the first year of the pandemic.

It is understood that the design session for the 2023 rings took more than an hour at Kirribilli House.

The Prime Minister’s passion for footy dates back to his childhood, where he says he ‘came out of the womb red and green’ to support Souths.

Albanese was also one of 80,000 South Sydney Rabbitohs supporters who took to the streets of Sydney in 2000 to protest their expulsion from the newly formed NRL competition.

The $10,000 rings will also be presented to the winning NRLW team on Sunday

The Prime Minister’s passion for footy and Souths dates back to his childhood

He also famously stood in federal parliament in 1999 and tabled a range of motions including calling upon the NRL to include South Sydney in the 2000 competition.

History shows that South Sydney won that fight. Albanese still wears his weathered scarf and battered, vintage Rabbitohs jersey on regular occasions.