Royce Simmons has officially been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
The Panthers great was honoured for his contributions to rugby league as a player and coach, as well as his outstanding community work.
Panther no. 181, Simmons made his first grade debut in 1980 and played 237 games for the club. His final match came in the 1991 Grand Final, as his heroic performance helped the Panthers win their first premiership.
Simmons captained the Panthers for eight seasons from 1983 to 1990, and went on to become head coach from 1994 to 2001.
In 2016, he was named an inaugural member of the Panthers Hall of Fame.
After being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2022, he established the Royce Simmons Foundation to support dementia research. In each of the past three years, he has embarked on the Royce’s Big Walk initiative, raising millions of dollars for the cause.
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Royce completes 300km journey
Simmons was named Penrith City Council’s Citizen of the Year in 2023 in recognition of his charity efforts.
The Medal of the Order of Australia is awarded annually to recognise Australians who have demonstrated outstanding service or exceptional achievement.
