Greater Sydney Rams

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Greater Sydney Rams
Logo of The Greater Sydney Rams Rugby Union team.svg
PCS Greater Sydney Rams
Founded 2007
Western Sydney (ARC)

2014
Greater Sydney (NRC)
Location Western Sydney, Australia                             
Ground(s) Concord Oval
(Capacity: 20,000)

Forshaw Park
(Capacity: 2,000)

Granville Park
(Capacity: 5,000)

Parramatta Stadium
(Capacity: 20,700)
Coach(es) Jim Williams
Captain(s) Jed Holloway
League(s) National Rugby Championship
2007 ARC Semi-Finalist   (Western Sydney)
1st kit
2nd kit
Official website
ramsrugby.com.au

The Greater Sydney Rams is an Australian rugby union team that competes in the National Rugby Championship (NRC). The team is one of three sides from Sydney in the competition; the other two being the North Harbour Rays and Sydney Stars.[1]

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The Greater Sydney Rams team in the NRC takes its identity from the Western Sydney 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.[2]

The new Rams team is backed by a syndicate of private investors in partnership with four Sydney rugby clubs; Parramatta, Penrith, Southern Districts, and West Harbour.[3] The Eastwood club was initially part of the partnership and later withdrew, although players from Eastwood may still elect to play for the Rams. All five clubs are from the Shute Shield competition.[4] The law firm, People + Culture Strategies (PCS), is the Rams' naming rights partner.[5]

Name and colours

The name and 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. 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.[6] The Rams' colours of orange and blue mirror the colours of the City of Parramatta.[7][8]

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.[9]

Western Sydney Rams (ARC team)

File:Western Sydney Rams logo.jpg
The Rams' 2007 logo.
Rams' colours (ARC)

The Western Sydney Rams' name, logo and team colours (orange and blue) were officially unveiled on 20 March 2007 by the New South Wales Rugby Union (NSWRU). The team launch took place at Old Government House, Parramatta – a National Trust location which is also near the Rams' stadium.[6]

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. The clubs aligned with the Western Sydney Rams were Eastwood, West Harbour, Parramatta and Penrith. All competed in the Tooheys New Cup and Shute Shield club competitions.

Brian Melrose was the head coach of the Rams in 2007.[10] 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.[10]

The Western Sydney Rams played at Parramatta Stadium, which then had an all-seater capacity of 20,000.[11] 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.[12] The Western Sydney Rams team was disbanded with the end of the ARC competition.

Greater Sydney Rams (NRC team)

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,[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.[3][15] In late June 2014, Eastwood withdrew financial backing from the Rams, and ended their formal association with the team.[16] The Rams' shareholdings are 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).[3]

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.[17] 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.[18] In 2015, former Wallaby assistant coach Jim Williams was appointed Rams coach.

Sponsorship

The naming rights sponsor for the Rams is the workplace relations law firm, People + Culture Strategies (PCS).[5] Other partners in the 2014 season included financial advice firm Evalesco Financial Services, owned by Jeff Thurecht and Marshall Brentnall, and Pacific Restaurants, chaired by businessman Rick Hutchinson,[3] and the University of Western Sydney. In the 2015 season the RAMS were sponsored by ARC Group, Evalesco Financial Services and The Digital Athlete.

Stadium

Rams home grounds for 2015
Location   Venue   Capacity
Canada Bay Concord Oval 20,000
Sutherland Shire Forshaw Park 2,000
Merrylands Granville Park 5,000
Parramatta Pirtek Park 20,700

The main home ground for the Rams is Parramatta Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as Pirtek Park. However, in 2015, the Rams consortium clubs of Parramatta, Southern Districts, and West Harbour will also host home matches.[19]

Pirtek Park is also the home of the National Rugby League club, the Parramatta Eels, and A-league team Western Sydney Wanderers. The current stadium was built in 1985, and at present has an all-seater capacity of 20,700.[20] Prior to Parramatta Stadium, Cumberland Oval existed on the grounds from 1847 to 1981. Rugby union was played at Cumberland Oval from 1879 through to 1939. In 1981, the old wooden grandstand at Cumberland Oval was burnt down. Construction of Parramatta Stadium began in the early 1980s, and the new stadium was opened in 1986.

Current squad

The squad for the 2015 National Rugby Championship season:[21]

 

Props

Hookers

Locks

  

Loose Forwards

  • Australia Marcus Carbone
  • Australia Jonathan Hayes
  • Australia Jed Holloway (c)
  • Australia Cohen Masson
  • Australia Kelly Meafua

Scrum-halves

  • Australia Kaleb Rech
  • Australia Dewet Roos

Fly-halves

  

Centres

  • Australia Paul Asquith
  • Australia Denny Godinet
  • Australia Michael McDougall
  • Australia Jordan Heyer
  • Australia Henry Seavula
  • Australia Henry Taufua

Wingers

Fullbacks

  • Australia Brenden Hartmann

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

Development squad

The Rams also announced a development squad for the 2015 season.[22]

Records

Honours

  • Playoff appearances: 2007 (ARC)

Season standings

National Rugby Championship

Year Pos Pld W D L F A +/- BP Pts   Play-offs  
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

  • Greater Sydney Rams versus Melbourne Rising Round 8 National Rugby Championship (2).jpg

    Rams win a lineout against Melbourne

  • Greater Sydney Rams versus Melbourne Rising Round 8 National Rugby Championship (3).jpg

    Rams backline in action for Round 8

  • Greater Sydney Rams versus Melbourne Rising Round 8 National Rugby Championship (5).jpg

    Rams forwards in action against Melbourne

See also

References

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External links

Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Greater_Sydney_Rams&oldid=720696117#Western_Sydney"