“Benny’s Burrow” filled with approx 160 of Ben Lovett’s friends and family from Parkes who travelled to watch him play last week after being named in the starting line up for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Twenty one year old Ben Lovett, from Parkes, started playing rugby league when he was just five years old. His hard work and sheer determination over the years has secured a him a spot with one of the NRL’s top rugby league teams, the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The Forbes and Parkes Phoenix spoke to Ben’s parents, John and Fiona Lovett about Ben’s debut.
Proud mother Fiona said, “We’re still quite overwhelmed and excited. We had hoped that he would debut sometime this year because he is in the first grade squad, had been named in reserve for the past few weeks and he was doing quite well.”
Describing the moment Ben first told them he was going to make his debut, Fiona said, “Ben face timed us both separately and it was quite emotional.”
Last Saturday, 25th March, on the day of Ben’s debut, an excited John and Fiona arrived early and watched the three games prior to the main event.
“We watched the crowd build up, and all the people that had come from Parkes to watch. It was an exciting build up to the moment when Ben came on in the 60th minute,” said Fiona.
During last Saturday’s game against the Manly Sea Eagles, South Sydney paid tribute to one of rugby leagues greats who recently passed away, four time premiership winning captain, John Satler. Ben was honoured to be presented his jersey by John Satlers son, Scott Satler.