Russell Crowe may have dragged the South Sydney Rabbitohs from the depths of oblivion to a premiership but the club's ascension has come at a personal price.

In an interview on America's CBS Sunday Morning, Crowe says buying the club ultimately cost him his marriage.

Happier times: Russell Crowe and his then wife Danielle Spencer celebrate a Rabbitohs try in 2009. Credit:Getty Images

The 51-year-old Hollywood actor bought the struggling Rabbitohs in 2006 after a bitter battle with then club chairman George Piggins.

But he said the effort he put into restoring the club's fortunes was done at the expense of his relationship with his wife Danielle Spencer.