Prime Minister Anthony Albanese designs 2023 NRL Premiership rings

Johnathan Thurston, Mick Fuller and Ray Warren have designed NRL Premiership rings in years past. In 2023, diehard rugby league fan Anthony Albanese has provided his design expertise. Find out the inspiration behind his ring design.

Affinity Diamonds’ Sam Rahme with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese designing the 2023 NRL Premiership rings.

NRL diehard Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has taken his love of the game to the top, designing the 2023 Premiership ring that will be worn by either the Penrith Panthers or the Brisbane Broncos.

The number one ticket holder for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, PM Albanese has drawn on iconic Australiana with his creation.

Working with Sydney’s Affinity Diamonds, he has incorporated yellow sapphires to represent the Commonwealth of Australia Floral Emblem, Golden Wattle.

A kangaroo and an emu are also part of the design.

The 2023 NRL Premiership rings.

Albo’s proved to be a stylish man.

Both the NRL and NRLW Grand Finals will be held on Sunday. For the women, the final is between the Newcastle Knights and the Gold Coast Titans.

“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 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.”

The design session took place at Kirribilli House for over an hour.

Last year’s premiership ring was designed by legendary commentator Ray Warren, who was inspired by the great Dragons team that won 11 premierships in succession.

The year before that, in 2021, former NSW top cop Mick Fuller was inspired by the blue and white chequered band on a police car and around the edge of an officer’s hat in helping design the 2021 NRL Premiership ring.

Penrith won both those NRL Grand Final matches.

FRNSW Chief Superintendent Ken Murphy and Emergency nurse Lyndal Keith with the 2020 ring. Picture:Justin Lloyd

In 2020, the ring honoured Australia’s frontline heroes incorporating a picture of a firefighter and a nurse from Fire NSW Chief Superintendant Ken Murphy and Emergency nurse Lyndal Keith, while retired great of the game Johnathan Thurston created the 2019 ring.

Affinity Diamonds has worked with the NRL to design and produce the Premiership rings since 2015. Each ring is valued at $10,000.

Founder Sam Rahme himself is a diehard fan, who worked on the Manly Sea Eagles coaching staff for 22 seasons.

“Prime Minister Albanese has taken on the design task with great enthusiasm and we are so proud to work with him on this project. The design he has chosen is truly unique. The ring has player numbers engraved on one side and on the opposing side it has a kangaroo and emu. The inclusion of these native animals represent an admired virtue of rugby league players of never taking a backward step,” said Rahme, who this month also launched Affinity’s Australian Made collection after gaining certification.

“Every NRL club has an acknowledged number one fan. Manly has High Jackman and the Sharks former PM Scomo. The game doesn’t itself recognise a number one fan, but if it did, then surely Prime Minister Albanese would be an automatic starter. He is passionate for the game and particularly for his beloved Rabbitohs.”

Originally published as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese designs 2023 NRL Premiership rings