Your Price: $135.00
Melbourne Storm is proud to unveil its commemorative 2026 ANZAC Round jersey, to be worn in the Club’s ANZAC Day clash against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at AAMI Park. The jersey pays tribute to Australia’s legendary Rats of Tobruk and honours one of the most courageous chapters in the nation’s military history. The 2026 design marks the 85th anniversary of the Siege of Tobruk, where Australia’s 9th Division, alongside Allied forces, defended the Libyan port city ‘Tobruk’ from April to December 1941. Under relentless shelling, air raids and severe shortages, the defenders held their ground for 242 days in what became one of the longest sieges in British military history. Their resilience delivered the first land defeat of German forces in World War II and provided a significant morale boost for Allied nations during the war. The nickname “Rats of Tobruk” originated from German propaganda broadcasts that mocked the defenders as being trapped “like rats”. Rather than reject the insult, the Australian soldiers embraced it as a badge of honour, a symbol of courage, toughness and defiance. Leading the defence was Leslie Morshead, the commanding officer of the 9th Division, who was born and raised in Ballarat, Victoria. His words remain central to the story of Tobruk and are featured on the jersey collar: “There is to be no surrender and no retreat.” The 2026 jersey carries the campaign theme Honour Unites Us, recognising the shared spirit of sacrifice, service and unity that ANZAC Day represents.