Key facts
- UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese connected over rugby league.
- The leaders discussed the sport's working-class origins and community significance.
- Burnham agreed to support Albanese's team, the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
- Albanese expressed a desire to see the Australian national rugby league team tour the UK.
- The article draws parallels between the sport's ethos and the leaders' political aims to connect with working-class voters.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have established a personal connection through their shared passion for rugby league, a sport deeply rooted in working-class communities. Their discussions during a July 23 call revealed a mutual appreciation for the sport's history and cultural significance.
Albanese expressed a fondness for the traditional Kangaroo Tours to the UK and recalled a specific try by Mal Meninga in 1990. In return, Burnham agreed to support Albanese's team, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, while Albanese pledged to support Burnham's team, the Leigh Leopards. This shared interest transcends mere small talk, serving as a potential lubricant for the deep trust required by the AUKUS military alliance.
The leaders, both from the left of their respective political spectrums, are navigating challenges from right-wing populist movements. Their connection to rugby league, a sport born from a class struggle in 1895 when Northern English clubs broke from Rugby Union over compensation for working-class players, aligns with their efforts to retain working-class voters. Burnham, in particular, seeks to counter the appeal of Nigel Farage's Reform UK in post-industrial Northern towns where rugby league is prominent.
Burnham's long-standing involvement in the sport, including his roles with Leigh Centurions (Leopards) and the Rugby Football League, underscores his authentic connection. Albanese's own history with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, from his childhood fandom to his political fight against Rupert Murdoch's Super League breakaway competition and his role in the club's readmission, further highlights the sport's significance in his life and political identity. Both leaders view the sport as embodying community, local identity, and a sense of belonging, mirroring the mass movements of their own parties' histories.