Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Labor MP Anthony Albanese have put politics aside to hand $10 million to the South Sydney Rabbitohs before Sunday's NRL grand final.
The money will go towards the club's $22.26 million Community and High Performance Centre of Excellence at Heffron Park in Maroubra.
It will help to pay for classrooms, facilities for the community, an administration centre for the football club and a football development department with a gym, aquatic centre, medical facilities, players' lounge and offices.
Mr Abbott, a Manly fan, said the Commonwealth's donation would "consolidate the operation of a number of community initiatives by Souths Cares and expand their community-based initiatives to support health, education and indigenous employment programs".
"This is an important community project that will provide positive social and economic benefits to the region," Mr Abbott said.
Mr Albanese, a Souths fan who has this week wore the club scarf in Parliament and who attended the club's grand final win in 1971, said sporting clubs like this were "critical threads in the fabric that binds our communities".
"This project will deliver community benefit which is why this funding was supported by the former and current governments," Mr Albanese said.
The Randwick City Council, National Rugby League, Souths and a local school will jointly contribute the remaining $12 million.
