Greater Sydney Rams

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Greater Sydney Rams
PCS Greater Sydney Rams
Founded2007 
(as Western Sydney Rams)
LocationSydney, Australia                           
Ground(s)T G Millner Field
(Capacity: 8,000)
Coach(es)John Manenti
Captain(s)Jed Holloway
League(s)National Rugby Championship
2007ARC Semi-Finalist

The Greater Sydney Rams, formerly the Western Sydney Rams, is an Australian rugby union team that competes in the National Rugby Championship (NRC). The team is one of three sides from New South Wales in the competition; the other two being the Sydney Rays and New South Wales Country Eagles.

The Greater Sydney Rams team in the NRC takes its identity from the Rams side that played in the previous national competition, the Australian Rugby Championship (ARC). The ARC was discontinued following the first season in 2007, but after an absence of six years the national competition was relaunched as the NRC in 2014.[1]

The revived Rams team for 2014 was backed by a syndicate of private investors in partnership with four Sydney rugby clubs; Parramatta, Penrith, Southern Districts and West Harbour.[2] The Eastwood club was initially included in the partnership but withdrew prior to the 2014 season.[3] In 2017 the Rams were taken over by the Eastwood Rugby Union Club.[4]

Name and colours

The inspiration for the name Rams derives from the pioneering past of Western Sydney; and as recognition of the settlers that started the Australian sheep and wool industries in Parramatta.[5] The colours of the Rams are taken from the team's previous incarnation as the Western Sydney Rams, as unveiled at the ARC team's launch in March 2007. Orange and blue mirror the colours of the City of Parramatta.[6][7]

History

In 2007, an attempt was made to form a third tier of rugby in Australia, similar to New Zealand's ITM Cup and South Africa's Currie Cup. The new competition, called the Australian Rugby Championship, included eight teams. Three of those teams were based in New South Wales, including a Western Sydney team based at Parramatta.[8]

2007 Rams logo.

ARC: Western Sydney Rams

The clubs aligned with the Western Sydney Rams in 2007 were Eastwood, West Harbour, Parramatta and Penrith. All competed in the Tooheys New Cup and Shute Shield club competitions. The Rams' local rivals in the ARC were the Sydney Fleet and the Central Coast Rays. The three ARC teams from New South Wales were aligned with existing clubs and regions.

Brian Melrose was the head coach of the Rams in 2007.[9] Melrose had coaching roles with Manly and the Australian Sevens team and was previously an assistant coach to the Waratahs. He played for Eastwood and Parramatta before taking up coaching.[9]

The Western Sydney Rams played at Parramatta Stadium, which then had an all-seater capacity of 20,000.[10] The Rams were the minor premiers of the 2007 ARC season. The team was knocked out of the 2007 finals by the Melbourne Rebels at the semi-final stage.

The Australian Rugby Championship was terminated at the end of 2007 after only one season of competition, with the Australian Rugby Union citing higher costs than budgeted and further projected financial losses.[11] The Western Sydney Rams team was disbanded with the end of the ARC competition.

Greater Sydney Rams 2014–2015
2014-2015 Greater Sydney Rams kit and logo.
Tatafu Polota-Nau with Greater Sydney 'Horned Army' Fans in 2014.

The National Rugby Championship was announced in December 2013 to commence in 2014 with expressions of interest open to any interested parties with accepted bids to be announced early 2014.

In March 2014 it was announced that the Rams would be revived as the Greater Sydney Rams to compete in the new National Rugby Championship,[12][13] and the team's original colours from the ARC would be maintained.[14]

The new Rams team, representing Greater Sydney, was formed by Greater Sydney Rams Pty Ltd – a syndicate of private investors in partnership with (initially) five Shute Shield clubs: Eastwood, Parramatta, Penrith, Southern Districts, and West Harbour.[2][15] In late June 2014, Eastwood withdrew financial backing from the Rams, and ended their formal association with the team.[16] The Rams' shareholdings were split, with three quarters being held by the syndicate of investors and the remainder held by the clubs (5% being kept aside for Eastwood should they wish to become a partner).[2]

A law firm, People + Culture Strategies (PCS), was announced as the Rams' naming rights partner for the 2014 to 2016 seasons.[17]

The Rams appointed Brian Melrose as head coach for the 2014 season, renewing their association with the coach that took the Western Sydney Rams to the minor premiership in 2007.[18] For the first NRC match of 2014 the Rams named 21-year-old Jed Holloway, from the Southern Districts club, as captain of the team.[19] In 2015, former Wallaby assistant coach Jim Williams was appointed Rams coach.

2016 Rams logo.

Western Sydney Rams: 2016

The franchise reverted to its original name of Western Sydney Rams for the 2016 NRC season.[20] Consideration was given to the Southern Districts Rugby Club switching to the newly renamed Sydney Rays, but the club decided to remain a shareholder of the Rams.[21] Former Australian assistant coach John Muggleton was named as the Rams' new head coach for the 2016 season, with Jeremy Paul and Joel Wilson appointed as assistant coaches.[21]

The team played their home matches out of Concord Oval but only won two matches for the year, finishing the regular season in sixth place and did not make the semifinal stage of the competition.

Greater Sydney Rams: 2017 onward

The Rams franchise underwent a restructure in 2017, reverting to the Greater Sydney Rams name with Eastwood Rugby Club taking over control of the licence.[4] The Manly Rugby Club, previously aligned with the Sydney Rays, also joined the Rams partnership.[citation needed] The team's home ground was moved to T G Millner Field.

Sponsorship

The Rams naming rights sponsor in 2014 was the workplace relations law firm, People + Culture Strategies (PCS).[17] Other partners in the 2014 season included financial advice firm Evalesco Financial Services, owned by Jeff Thurecht and Marshall Brentnall, ARC Group, owned by Cameron Ryan and Pacific Restaurants, chaired by businessman Rick Hutchinson,[2] and the University of Western Sydney.

In the 2015 and 2016 seasons the RAMS were sponsored by People + Culture Strategies, ARC Group, Evalesco Financial Services and The Digital Athlete.

Stadium

Previous Rams home grounds
Venue   Location   Capacity
Concord Oval Inner West 20,000
Forshaw Park Sutherland Shire 2,000
Granville Park Merrylands 5,000
Parramatta Stadium Parramatta 20,700

As of 2017, the Rams play their home games at T G Millner Field which is also the home ground of Eastwood Rugby Club in the Shute Shield competition.

The Rams played at Parramatta Stadium in 2014,[22] home of the National Rugby League club, the Parramatta Eels, and A-league team Western Sydney Wanderers. The site was originally known as Cumberland Oval and rugby union was played there from 1879 through to 1939. The old wooden grandstand was burnt down in the early 1980s and Cumberland Oval was redeveloped into Parramatta Stadium which opened in 1986.

In 2015, the Rams consortium clubs of Parramatta and Southern Districts also hosted home matches.[23] In 2016, the Rams played out of Concord Oval, which hosted eight matches during the 1987 Rugby World Cup, including a semifinal.

Current squad

The squad for the 2017 National Rugby Championship season:[24]

 

Props

  • Australia Duncan Chubb
  • Australia Jed Gillespie
  • Australia Robert Lagudi
  • Australia Andrew Tuala

Hookers

Locks

  • Australia Adrian Hall
  • Australia Fergus Lee-Warner
  • Australia Joshua Redfern
  • Scotland Sam Thomson
  • Fiji Albert Tuisue
  

Loose Forwards

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

  • Croatia Jai Ayoub
  • Australia Kodie Hawkins
  • Australia Stu Dunbar
  • Australia Mack Mason
  

Centres

  • Australia Ben Cotton
  • New Zealand Kevin Fuavao
  • Australia Tevita Piukana
  • New Zealand Dennis Pili-Gaitau

Wingers

Fullbacks

  • Australia Liam Windon

(c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped, 1 denotes allocated national player additional to the contracted squad.

Records

Honours

  • Playoff appearances: 2007 (ARC)

Season standings

National Rugby Championship

Year Pos Pld W D L F A +/- BP Pts   Play-offs
2016 6th 7 2 0 5 264 266 −2 5 13   Did not compete
2015 9th 8 1 0 7 242 363 −121 3 7   Did not compete
2014 5th 8 3 1 4 254 265 −11 2 16   Did not compete

Australian Rugby Championship

Year Pos Pld W D L F A +/- BP Pts   Play-offs
2007 1st 8 5 0 3 239 149  +90  7 27   Semi-final loss to the Melbourne Rebels by 23–3.

Head coaches

Captains

Squads

Gallery

  • Tatafu Polota-Nau with Greater Sydney 'Horned Army' Fans
    Tatafu Polota-Nau with Greater Sydney 'Horned Army' Fans
  • Rams win a lineout against Melbourne
    Rams win a lineout against Melbourne
  • Rams backline in action for Round 8
    Rams backline in action for Round 8
  • Rams forwards in action against Melbourne
    Rams forwards in action against Melbourne

See also

References

  1. ^ "Australia relaunches National Rugby Championship". rugbyweek.com. 24 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b c d Shooter, Nev (16 July 2014). "SDRC's involvement with the Greater Sydney RAMs". Southern Districts Rugby. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "NRC update part 2: NSW Country and the Sydney teams". The Roar. 9 July 2014. Archived from the original on 9 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c "Rams rebranded Q&A with John Manenti". 30 August 2017. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "Western Sydney Rams Ready to Charge". rugby.com.au (NSWRU). 20 March 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2007.[dead link]
  6. ^ "Orange is our primary". twitter.com/Rams_Rugby. 23 March 2014. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "Blue has been a part of rugby history in Western Sydney since the founding of the Two Blues in 1879". twitter.com/Rams_Rugby. 23 March 2014. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "NSW unveils three team structure for national comp". ESPN Scrum. 6 September 2006. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ a b "Melrose to Lead Western Front". waratahs.com.au. 17 January 2007. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ "Parramatta Stadium". austadiums.com. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ "ARU pull plug on Australian Rugby Championship". ESPN Scrum. 18 December 2007. Archived from the original on 12 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "Australian Rugby Union says National Rugby Championship to start in August". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ "ARU Board approves nine team National Rugby Championship to start in August 2014". rugby.com.au (Press release). 24 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2014. {{cite press release}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "Our colours were chosen to reflect our previous incarnation in the ARC". twitter.com/Rams_Rugby. 23 March 2014. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "We're a team representing the 5 Great districts of Sydney!". twitter.com/Rams_Rugby. 23 March 2014. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "Eastwood quit Greater Sydney Rams partnership". ESPN Scrum. 2 July 2014. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ a b Nelson, Felicity (21 August 2014). "The laws of the game". Lawyers Weekly. Archived from the original on 24 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "The Rams are welcoming back Brian "Billy" Melrose as Head Coach in 2014". twitter.com/Rams_Rugby. 4 May 2014. Archived from the original on 9 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "PCS Greater Sydney RAMS name side to face NSW Country Eagles in their first NRC Game". Rams Rugby. 21 August 2014. Archived from the original on 25 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ a b "New coach confident Western Sydney Rams will be a threat". Rugby News. Sydney. 9 July 2016. Archived from the original on 17 July 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ a b "Questions and answers – 2016". Rams Rugby. 16 July 2016. Archived from the original on 17 July 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "Pirtek Stadium". austadiums.com. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ a b "Greater Sydney Rams are ramping up rugby in your backyard for 2015". Rams Rugby. 12 June 2015. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ "Introducing your 2017 Greater Sydney Rams squad". facebook.com/GreaterSydneyRams. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  25. ^ "NRC Team of the week". Australian Rugby. 4 September 2017. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ "The Western Sydney Rams: Team List". Daley Rugby. 22 August 2016. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ "PCS RAMS Team Announcement for 2015 NRC Season". Rams Rugby. 4 August 2015. Archived from the original on 4 August 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ "Greater Sydney Rams name NRC Squad for 2014". The Roar. 1 August 2014. Archived from the original on 1 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ "Qantas Wallabies player alignments unveiled for 2014 Buildcorp National Rugby Championship". Australian Rugby. 21 July 2014. Archived from the original on 24 July 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

External links

Archives

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