Leeds Rhinos will today announce an unlikely link-up with Russell Crowe after the Oscar-winning actor gave his enthusiastic backing to a partnership between the Yorkshire side and South Sydney, the Australian club he took over last year. This will include a joint pre-season training camp in the United States this winter, regular exchanges of off-field staff and possibly players - and every chance of Crowe making an appearance at Headingley later this summer when he is in England to shoot a Robin Hood film in which he will reportedly play the Sheriff of Nottingham.
"Russell and his co-owner, Peter Holmes à Court, are very keen on promoting the South Sydney brand across the world and this is another step along the way," said Shane Richardson, the Souths' chief executive who previously worked at Hull and Gateshead Thunder. "People in England probably don't realise what a huge fan he is of rugby league in general as well as South Sydney in particular and, as his wife's family are from Nether Poppleton [near York], he's delighted to align himself with a club from Yorkshire.
"Both clubs are excited about the benefits we're going to get from working together, in terms of on- and off-field expertise and merchandising as well as the possibility of both senior and junior players getting experience on the other side of the world.
"The American training camp is an added bonus.
Leeds have been out to Jacksonville in January before and said the weather and facilities were excellent and whether we go to Florida or another state campus we'll be looking to put a match on which with Russell's involvement must have a good chance of grabbing some attention out there."
The Leeds chief executive, Gary Hetherington, added: "This is a first in rugby league and an exciting and innovative development for both clubs. We each have a proud history and this is a new way to take our clubs forward in the global market."
