The Sydney rugby team will return to the NRC — and will split home games between the east and west
IAIN PAYTEN, The Daily Telegraph
June 6, 2018 5:43pm
THE Sydney rugby team has re-formed to play in the NRC after more than two decades in hibernation, and in a bid to be truly representative, is set to split home games equally between the west and the east.
As forecast, a shake-up of the NSW’s presence in the NRC saw a further rationalisation of teams.
From four teams in the original NRC in 2014, the three NSW teams of last season — the Rays, the Rams and the NSW Country Eagles — were reduced to only two: the Sydney Rays and the Eagles.
The move brings NSW into line with the QRU model of fielding City and Country teams, and like the QRU system, NSWRU will be far more involved in the two teams. The state body had previously kept its hands off and allowed club consortiums to run the franchises.
The Sydney team will revive the traditional blue-and-yellow colours but the Rays branding was kept as part of a sponsorship deal with Macquarie University; who also run a women’s Sydney Rays team in the Aon Uni 7s comp.
Like the Sydney Stars before them, the Western Sydney Rams will shut down and there was some angry reaction; particularly coming so soon after the axing of Penrith in the Shute Shield.
But NSWRU are stressing this is not rugby walking away from western Sydney.
It is understood the Rays will not have a home ground but instead, like the NSW Country Eagles, play their four home games in a roadshow style, at four different venues.
Two of the four games will be in western Sydney venues to emphasise the fact the team represents all of Sydney.
Locations are yet to be finalised for the September-October competition but it is understood stadium options in Penrith are being investigated.
Sydney hosting the Fiji Drua in mid-October which would no doubt draw a bumper crowd in the west and NSWRU officials are
lining up a continuation of the same successful Pasifika round initiatives run by the Rams in recent years, including a NSW Pasifika rugby comp.
The Sydney team were once a famous representative team on the rugby fixture list, playing against touring teams and in an annual clash with NSW Country. The famous “up the jumper” try in 1975 came in a City-Country clash.
Despite best intentions by merged club groupings from the same regions, NRC teams in NSW have never managed to fully capture the feel of a local representative team, with coaches and players swapping allegiances routinely.
As a pathway, the NRC has grown to be a success but understandably, fans have not engaged.
But following NSW Country Eagles’ lead last year, this year — where possible — players drawn from both the Waratahs and Shute Shield ranks will play for the team according to their “origin” as a city slicker or country boy.
It has the potential to reignite a strong rivalry.
NSW Waratahs general manager Tim Rapp said reducing to two teams would also help both teams improve, and potentially bring home a first NRC title to NSW.
Both teams will use the Waratahs facilities and have equal access to coaching, medical and analytical staff.
Rapp said cutting a team would not lead to a reduction of opportunities for NSW club players to play in the NRC, with both squads to have 30 players along with extended development squads that will inevitably be called upon. QRU stats show even in a two-team structure, they’ve always had over 50 per cent club players in both teams.
The concurrent running of the National Under 19 championships at the same time — which also feature Sydney and NSW Country teams — will provide opportunities for the best young talent, Rapp said.
“You will have a large number of players with a chance to show what they’ve got,” Rapp said.
Along with coaches, Rapp said scouts had been enlisted throughout all Shute Shield games to make sure all players from all clubs were being watched for potential selection.
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