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Vale: Rex Mossop

Retired rugby league commentator Rex "The Moose" Mossop has died, aged 83.

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Retired rugby league commentator Rex “The Moose” Mossop has died, aged 83.

Mossop, who played rugby league and rugby union for Australia, died yesterday after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

His condition is understood to have deteriorated in the past week.

“He was an icon of our club, he was our first dual international player and he was larger than life,” Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles media manager Peter Peters said.

“He will be sadly missed.”

Peters said the sport had “lost a real character”.

Mossop was a commentator on both Channels Seven and Ten from the 1970s until 1990.

He made his first appearance before the television cameras in 1964, and his Sunday morning programs Sports Action, which segued into Sports World, featuring such tidbits as the passing competition, and the first Controversy Corner where he discussed “Pertinent League Matters.”

He later joined TEN from 1986 to 1991.

He was famous for his tautologies, with lines like “forward progress” or “verbal tongue lashings” along with his favourite line, “I’m flabbergasted”.

One of his most famous national TV appearances was on Tonight Live with Steve Vizard when he refused to sit beside visting UK comedian Julian Clary, who was dressed in a high-camp outfit.

He also made a surprise return to TV on Andrew Denton’s sports show Live and Sweaty, arguing with Debbie “Skull Of Rust” Spillane and “Crackers” Keenan.

Source: SMH, The Roar, Herald Sun

7 Responses

  1. While he was old fashioned with his views (which is not surprising for someone born in the 1930’s – let’s put that in context), he was a remarkable league commentator and one of few people to represent Australia in both rugby codes.

    It may be unfortunate that he will remembered by many for being a guest on Tonight Live, but for millions more leaguies like myself he will be known as a man of great humour and passion for the greatest game of all, with a voice that not only told you what was going on in the game, but added to the spectacle.

  3. No mention of his long battle to close down Sydney’s nude beaches, particularly the one near where he lived in the 70s/80s. Pity, it led to his most famous and hilarious on-air outburst.

    When asked about his campaign to ban nude bathing he replied “I’m sick of having other people’s genitals shoved down my throat!”

    There’ll never be another Sexy Rexy!

  6. I’m sorry but this guy gets no respect from me for his sillyness on Tonight LIve way back when, sure times were different but that doesn’t make his blatant homophobia right and the fact Vizard seemed to egg him on makes him just as guilty.

  7. R.I.P before my time, but my dad always liked him.
    I do also like that there actually are Sea Eagles in Manly & it isn’t a silly mascot.

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