The rugby league community is mourning the passing of former Rabbitohs captain and long serving administrator Darrell Bampton, OAM, following a long illness.
Bampton, South Sydney first-grade player No.559, passed away on Saturday following a long illness. He was aged 74.
Fondly known by the nickname of "Number Nine", Bampton transitioned from playing to become chief executive officer of Souths and was team manager for the Kangaroos and NSW Origin teams.
A South Sydney junior, who played for the Alexandria Rovers, Waterloo Waratahs and Zetland United clubs, Bampton made his first-grade debut in 1970 against Cronulla.
He played 116 games for the Rabbitohs during two stints in1969-73 and 1978-79, including 51 in first grade.
Bampton would have almost certainly made more first-grade appearances except Souths had the likes of Ron Coote, Paul Sait, Bob McCarthy and Gary Stevens as back-rowers.
He was captain of the President’s Cup premiership winning team in 1969 and a member of the third-grade premiership winning team the same year.
The Rabbitohs won all three major junior competitions in 1969, they also won the third-grade grand final against Canterbury, and lost the first-grade grand final in a major upset to the Balmain Tigers.
Bampton left Souths at the end of 1973 to join Collegians Wollongong as captain-coach, mainly because he was having trouble cementing a place in the back row due to the presence of Sait, McCarthy and Stevens. Coote had departed two years earlier.
Rabbitohs v Eels - Round 1, 1972
He was captain of the victorious Illawarra CRL side against Great Britain in 1975.
At the beginning of 1978, new coach Jack Gibson urged Bampton to return home. He had been commuting from Coogee to Wollongong three nights a week for training and jumped at the offer.
His form in the pre-season was so good that Gibson made him the club captain.
As a football administrator, Bampton's talents have been recognised at club, State of Origin and Test levels.
Bampton was CEO of South Sydney Football Club (1997-1999), NSW State Of Origin manager (1999-2002) and manager of the Australian team in the 1999 Tri-Series, 2000 World Cup, 2001 Kangaroo tour and 2002 ANZAC Test.
He was also appointed vice-president of the NSWRFL (2002).
Bampton was awarded Life Membership of SSDRLFC in 1994, and Life Membership of the NSWRL in 2006.
In 2009, his talents were recognised by the Australian Government when he was awarded the Order Of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to Rugby League through a range of executive roles as a player and as a mentor of young athletes.
A South Sydney statement said: "On behalf of everyone connected to the Rabbitohs, we offer our deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr Darrell Bampton, OAM".
