USA Confidential: Superstar Souths fan Kid Laroi links up with Bunnies, latest news and whispers from US
He’s among the world’s biggest music artists right now, but Aussie superstar The Kid Laroi turned fan in LA when he got the chance to meet his Rabbitohs idols.
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Australian hip-hop artist The Kid Laroi has 3.9 million followers on Instagram.
However, it was the popular musician who turned fan in LA when he got the chance to meet Rabbitohs stars Cody Walker and Jai Arrow on Sunday.
One of the most successful solo artists in the world, Laroi is a tragic Rabbitohs fan having been born and raised in the heart of South Sydney, in Waterloo.
He grew-up in housing commission before emerging as one of the biggest solo performers in the world, with mega-hit Stay in 2021, with Justin Bieber.
Walker and Arrow, along with the rest of the Rabbitohs were given the day off in San Diego for sightseeing and made the three-hour road-trip to LA to meet The Kid Laroi.
“I grew up in Waterloo and the Rabbitohs are in my blood,’’ The Kid Laroi said.
“I love what the team represents and am stoked that people in the US will get a chance to watch them play live in Las Vegas next Sunday.’’
SYDNEY BORN DESIGNER TO THE STARS TEAMS UP WITH NRL
If it’s good enough for Justin Bieber, Beyonce and NFL star Travis Kelce, it’s good enough for Latrell Mitchell, Tom Trbojevic and James Tedesco.
The Sydney-born fashion designer who has fitted out some of the world’s biggest superstars has teamed-up with the NRL.
Daniel Patrick, a former lower grade footballer for the Roosters and Dragons who grew-up in the Sutherland Shire, will add to the glitz and glamour of the NRL’s Las Vegas kick-off by dropping a limited edition tracksuit.
Designed specifically for the NRL’s historic season launch in Sin City, Patrick’s self-titled clothing label is also available to supporters.
The son of former rugby league Test forward Pat Jarvis, Patrick has made a stunning impact on the fashion scene ever since his arrival in Los Angeles in 2009.
He famously supplied Kelce with 38 tracksuits to give to his Kansas City Chief teammates last Christmas.
Bieber has also sported Patrick’s label, causing a viral sensation that led to mass sales of his label across China, London, Dubai and the Netherlands.
The 38-year-old’s own athletic background led him to design clothes and shoes, predominantly for athletes.
“In 2006 I was coming towards the end of my football journey and I was looking for something I wanted to do outside of football,’’ Patrick said.
“I had been interested in fashion since I was a boy and I wanted to pursue it as a career.
“I went to fashion school at the end of 2006 and dived into it.
“It was one of those overnight successes that took 12-years.
“There has been a lot of hard work that has gone into it.
“I think it’s cool to connect with the athletes because growing up as an athlete, it’s pretty organic for me to design that way.
“When I first started making clothes, I made clothes that fit me.
“I came from playing league and doing fashion, and I’m not your stereo-typical fashion designer, so a lot of the clothes I make fit those bigger athletic guys.’’
Patrick said it was a natural fit for him to collaborate with the NRL, given his passion for the game, which has never waned.
“I wanted it to be something that any of the teams could wear, any of the team’s supporters could wear, but more so anyone could wear if they weren’t an NRL fan too,’’ Patrick said.
“I wanted to make it like a street wear design that is pretty universal.’’
Patrick said he wouldn’t be pushing Kelce - who is currently dating Taylor Swift - for the chance to design an outfit for the mega-star, currently on tour in Australia.
“That would be great if we could do something with her because you can see the effect she has,’’ Patrick said.
“But I like to let those things happen organically, I’m not going to push on that.’’
BRONCOS RUB SHOULDERS WITH LAKERS, LEBRON
The Brisbane Broncos have hit the big time in LA. Now they are about to go prime time.
From Red Hill to high fives with Los Angeles Lakers legend ‘Magic’ Johnson, the Broncos are living the American dream ahead of their historic NRL season opener against the Roosters in Las Vegas next Sunday (AEST).
Having flown business class into the City of Angels, the Broncos wasted no time rubbing shoulders with the king of LA, NBA sensation LeBron James, as guests of the Lakers last night.
The Broncos witnessed one of the NBA’s great individual duels.
LeBron, at 39 the greatest scorer in NBA history with 39,868 points, up against San Antonio phenom Victor Wembanyama, the 20-year-old human skyscraper tipped to become the next prince of the NBA.
The Broncos may be rock stars back home in Brisbane, but this was another level of sporting celebrity. They were truly among America’s sporting gods in physical stature and social status as the 206cm LeBron and 224cm Wembanyama dwarfed Payne Haas, the Broncos’ 194cm enforcer, by at least four inches.
Before they even entered Crypto.com Arena, home of the Lakers, the Broncos were touched by greatness.
Lakers icon Johnson, now 64 and boasting a net worth of $1.8 billion, arrived in a grey sweater and pristine white shoes and pants, high-fiving Haas and Tristan Sailor as he entered the Arena, where the cheapest ticket was $247.
Five Broncos got the experience of a lifetime, with Haas, Kotoni Staggs, Reece Walsh, Pat Carrigan and skipper Adam Reynolds allowed onto the court just moments before the floor was cleared for LeBron and his Lakers big guns to take centre stage.
This wasn’t the NRL. This was another world. And the Broncos were lapping it up.
“It’s a mad experience,” Reynolds said as he stood courtside.
“To be up closer to these guys and see how big they really are … they are incredible athletes.”
For the record, the Lakers staved off a late flurry to beat the Spurs 123-118. LeBron prevailed in the master-versus-apprentice battle, personally outscoring Wembanyama 30-27 as a Broncos touring party of 60, including club sponsors, watched the action from two VIP suites.
So used to being feted themselves, the Broncos did the feting this time.
Outside the venue, Reynolds and Carrigan stood beside a bronze statue of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2020, before taking selfies inside.
Brisbane players shook hands with former Australian Boomers star Matt Nielsen, now assistant coach at the Spurs, before tip off, while Reynolds presented a Broncos jumper to Johnson.
Carrigan was visibly awestruck, resembling a wide-eyed kid in a candy store as he watched LeBron and Wembanyama warm up from close quarters.
“Look how tall he is … he is massive” Carrigan gushed of Wembanyama to Reynolds, blown away the equal tallest player in NBA history at seven-foot-four.
“I’m still pinching myself. This is dope,” the Broncos vice-captain added.
“We are just a bunch of mates who play together and we get to experience the NBA on the big stage.
“You don’t see guys this big in Australia.
“To see the Lakers and the big seven footers is nuts.”
Pretty soon, it will be the Broncos’ turn to deliver a slam dunk in the Land of Opportunity.
History beckons next Sunday for the NRL’s Las Vegas quartet - the Broncos, Roosters, Souths and Manly - in more ways than one.
Aside from featuring in rugby league’s inaugural premiership matches on American soil, the Awesome Foursome will become the first NRL sides to be shown live on prime time US television.
A live feed of the Manly-Souths and Broncos-Roosters fixtures will be delivered to the American public via Fox Sports 1 in a landmark broadcasting bonanza for the NRL.
Fox Sports 1, a Pay Television service, reaches more than 90 million American homes and has broadcast tentacles in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean – giving the NRL a gargantuan population shopfront of 137 million.
Under the live-broadcast feed, the Souths-Manly game will be screened live to Americans at 6.30pm, followed by the Broncos-Roosters clash at 8.30pm.
Those timeslots represent US television prime time, with the Rabbitohs, Broncos, Roosters and Sea Eagles to be telecast live to California – America’s biggest state with a population of 39 million.
The US’s Pacific time zone encompasses the western region of America, taking in markets such as Las Vegas, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles, the latter area where the Broncos and Roosters are currently based before heading to Sin City on Thursday.
“The Broncos are one of the biggest brands in Australian sport and they will be live on Fox 1 in America,” ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys said.
“The Broncos are the NRL’s entertainers and seeing them live on American TV is a real coup for rugby league and Australian sport.
“We only dream about this — it’s going to be the highest TV profile we’ve ever gained.”
The Broncos are one of the richest clubs in Australian sport — their revenue was just shy of $60 million last year.
By comparison, the Lakers amassed a whopping $787 million in income, more than 10 times that of the Broncos, demonstrating the scale of America and why V’landys is keen to mine the US sporting market.
With the NFL season in hibernation after the Super Bowl a fortnight ago, Fox 1 have a window for fresh content and that gives Broncos stars Reynolds, Haas, Carrigan and Walsh a chance to impress American sports fans.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for our club to feature on a global scale,” said Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy, who also attended the Lakers-Spurs clash.
“Last year, more than 28 million people watched the Broncos over the course of the year.
“Hopefully this game in America adds to that tally.
“Whatever the number, I think Americans that do tune in will be suitably impressed by the skill, athleticism and physicality of rugby league.
“We’ll be working hard to make sure we give our players and program the best possible opportunity to bring back the two competition points.”
Having enjoyed their big night out with The Lakers, it’s now down to business for the Broncos. They have their first official training session on American soil on Sunday morning (AEST) and Walters said the Broncos are hellbent on making a statement in Sin City.
“It’s another world here in America,” Walters said.
“We’re training at the LA Rams facility, we’ve spoken to some of their coaching staff previously for an hour to get an insight into some of the things they do and that’s helped with our preparation.
“We’re not here for a holiday. We’re here to win. We can’t wait to get stuck in.”
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