The Imagetec Central Coast Rays

[Burgs]

New Look & New Sponsor Has Rays Ready to Launch

Friday, 15 June 2007
NSWRU Media Unit

The Central Coast Rays are all set to launch into the inaugural Mazda Australian Rugby Championship, with a bold new jersey and leading office supplier Imagetec on board as the side's first naming rights sponsor.

The jersey, designed by Canterbury and featuring an emerald green torso with navy sides & sleeves and white trim in the shape of a manta ray, was officially launched today at a gala luncheon in Gosford.

The Rays have also signed boutique brewer Bluetongue, naming rights sponsor of their home ground, Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium, as sleeve sponsor for the 2007 season.

Rays Chairman Russell Tate said the jersey launch and announcement of a major sponsor marked the real start of the Rays 2007 campaign.

"In just eight weeks we play our first game against Sydney Fleet, and a week later our first home game at Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium", Mr. Tate said.

"We have an enormous amount of work to do in that time but I am very confident that coach John McKee will have a team ready to give this competition a real shake.

"I am also confident that the people of the Central Coast, along with supporters from our feeder teams, will provide a supporter base which will set the standard for this competition."

The new strip, which also features navy shorts with white trim and navy socks with an emerald hoop, was today modelled by players Ben Jacobs, Beau Robinson, Josh Mann-Rae and David Harvey, all of whom are expected to turn out for the Rays in their season opener against the Sydney Fleet on August 10.

Jacobs and Robinson will link with fellow Waratahs Al Manning, Brett Sheehan, Sam Harris and Peter Hewat at the Rays, while either Kurtley Beale or Sam Norton-Knight will play flyhalf, dependent on the make up of the Wallabies World Cup squad.

Rays head coach John McKee is confident the team will be competitive with the high quality roster at their disposal.

"Certainly we've got the potential for an exciting backline and from talking to the players they're very keen to get stuck in," McKee said.

"We're assembling an innovative team and with the experience we have on board there is great potential to be able to play an exciting game.

"We've also got a good mix of Academy guys who have performed well at NSW A level and some excellent club players and juniors, including a couple of Australian 19's in Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Pat McCabe, who will be keen to do well."

The acquisition of Imagetec along with sleeve sponsor Bluetongue forms the basis for of a solid sponsorship platform for the Rays, who are well advanced in achieving their sponsorship budget for 2007.

"The Rays have taken a proactive approach towards attracting sponsorship and the signing of two key deals, with Imagetec and Bluetongue, is a just reward for their efforts," NSWRU Chief Executive Fraser Neill said.

"They've really embraced the challenge of getting support from the corporate sector and, while there's still plenty of opportunity to get on board, they've set an example for others to follow."

CENTRAL COAST RAYS - CONTRACTED PLAYERS 2007

Al Manning - Hooker
Beau Robinson - Flanker
Brett Sheehan - Scrumhalf
Kurtley Beale* - Flyhalf
Sam Norton-Knight* - Flyhalf
Sam Harris - Inside Centre
Ben Jacobs - Outside Centre/Utility Back
Peter Hewat - Fullback

*Dependent on Wallaby World Cup selection.

Other Mentioned Names:

David Harvey
Josh Mann-Rae
Pat McCabe
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves

About the Central Coast Rays:

The Central Coast Rays are the Mazda Australian Rugby Championship team for an area stretching from the Central Coast to the northern shoreline of Sydney Harbour.

The Rays will play their home matches at Gosford's Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium and will be backed by feeder clubs Gordon, Manly, Northern Suburbs and Warringah, as well as the Central Coast Rugby Union.

A brand new website will be launched shortly. Until then, find out more at http://www.waratahs.com.au/DrawsandC...CoastRays.aspx

About Imagetec:

Imagetec is Australia's largest independent distributor of office equipment providing leading edge document management, printing and imaging solutions throughout Australia.

Imagetec's independent status means it is able to give its customers a level of convenience that its competition cannot, combining the very latest in office technology with an unmatched service and support network.

Find out more at www.imagetec.com.au

About Bluetongue:

Launched in November 2003, Bluetongue is a 100% Australian owned brewery that has become firmly entrenched in the Australian market as a producer of premium quality boutique beers.

Based in the NSW Hunter Valley and with strong links to the local community through its naming rights sponsorship of Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium and sponsorship of the Newcastle Knights NRL team, Bluetongue is proud to add the Central Coast Rays to its stable of stars.

Find out more at www.bluetonguebrewery.com.au

[frontrow]

I don't think i will be supporting them, as they killed Steve Irwin and i will never forgive those evil rays....

[shasta]

I don't think i will be supporting them, as they killed Steve Irwin and i will never forgive those evil rays....

I don't think it was one of theirs FR. Unless it was a really good distance swimmer.

[Burgs]

Would seem that there is still unrest in certain quarters in NSW?
Would have thought at this late stage it would be a case of suck it and see?

Rays boss aims barbs at anti-ARC clubs

Rupert Guinness
Saturday, June 16, 2007

CENTRAL Coast Rays chairman Russell Tate has accused Sydney clubs of "self-interest" and provoking "hysteria" with their continual opposition to the forthcoming Australian Rugby Championship.

"From day one, it has largely been about self-interest. What people forgot is the people who really want this to work more than anybody are the players," Tate said at yesterday's Rays launch. "If rugby is not about the players, I am not sure what it is about. You have a great opportunity for young blokes who are playing club rugby, or older blokes who are not going to get to play beyond club rugby to get to play on a bigger stage. And you have young blokes who are not quite of the Wallaby standard or of Waratahs standard able to come back and still having eight to 10 weeks of very, very high-level competition.

"For people to sit around and say that's a bad idea, I don't get it. For people to say it is going to destroy club rugby, can they tell me how?"

Tate's comments came after he spoke about opposition - foremost from the Sydney University and Randwick clubs - to the ARC that starts on August 10.

Addressing a luncheon for about 200 at Gosford, Tate labelled the "hysteria of the Sydney clubs" as "extraordinary".

Asked what message he had for the ARC's critics now that its start was set in stone, Tate said: "They have to get on with it. It was healthy to discuss it. It was discussed ad nauseam, frankly. A lot of self-interest got in the way, particularly from a couple of clubs. Now it's going to happen whether people like it or not. What everybody in rugby should do is get on and make the most of it."

And what if the opposition to the ARC continues in the lead-up weeks to the competition? "Good luck to them," Tate said. "If people want to keep knocking it, the only way we can respond is to get players onto the field, get people in the grandstands watching, and if we do and can get great rugby, there is not much to knock."

The Central Coast Rays, who kick off their ARC campaign on Friday night, August 10, in a local derby against the Sydney Fleet at North Sydney Oval, yesterday unveiled their inaugural green and blue strip.

They play their first home game at Bluetongue Stadium in Gosford in round two against the Western Sydney Rams on Saturday, August 18.

Representing clubs from the northern Sydney, Central Coast and Hunter valley regions, the John McKee-coached Rays yesterday boldly set a grand final berth as their target for their first season.

"We are not here to make up numbers. We want to be the best NSW team in the competition," said McKee, who will also draw on former Wallaby Steve Merrick as a skills coach and mentor to younger players who come into the side from the rural parts of Rays territory. "We've got potential for an exciting back line. Talking from the players they are very keen to get stuck in."

[frontrow]

I am with him, the Sydney clubs in question need to realise that for us to keep consistently in the top tiers of International rugby we need to broaden our talented playing pools, and after this year due to RWC the comp will be "hopefully" better scheduled so it doesn't interfere with the club competition...Get over it i say...

[shasta]

This type of attitude from the "old school" powers can do a lot of harm to the forward progression of the game in the modern era. Relate this to the other thread about neglect of the Western Sydney corridor around Penrith.

Like the man says if rugby is not about the players, what is it about?

[Burgs]

Oh, I thought it was about political manouvering, back room deals and jobs for the boys?
Or is that just in the ARU, NSWRU & QRU...