The Tasmania Football Club has unveiled its first-ever mascot during a sold-out one-year anniversary celebration of the Tasmania Devils.
The launch of ‘Rum’un the Devil’, a quirky, homegrown character, marks a major milestone in the club’s journey towards joining the AFL in 2028.
The Devils’ Kath McCann said the mascot took nine months and more than 400 hours to bring to life through a partnership with local arts organisation Terrapin Puppet Theatre.
“Rum’un is known as an odd character, a uniquely Tasmanian character and an affectionate term of endearment for a Tasmanian,” she said.
“Obviously we don’t have any players yet, but we do have a team and Rum’un now takes a key place in our team.”
“Rum’un’s going to play a really important role in participation. He’ll be working alongside the team at AFL Tasmania to get out into schools to drum up support and participation.”
Rum’un’s fur is made entirely from recycled Tasmanian school uniforms donated from children across the island.
He will make his inaugural public appearance at Agfest in May.
Since launching last year, the Tasmania Devils have attracted over 207,000 founding members.
Fresh “top-up” membership offers will launch today, including a new batch of bumper stickers, limited-edition merchandise and an exclusive club football.
But while the mascot and merch are exciting, McCann said there is still plenty of work ahead before the club takes the field, including signing players, completing the AFL high-performance centre and approving the Macquarie Point stadium.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do to get to first bounce. As we’ve said many times, our whiteboard is extensive, but we absolutely have to maintain the momentum,” she said.
“There’s a lot to tick off. There’s no dull moments and there can’t be.”
“Despite the fact that 2028 feels like a long way away, there’s a lot of work to do and that momentum’s critically important.”
