By Mark Giacheri

We have had some excellent training sessions this week and all the grades and the colts are raring to go and ready to clash

with Gordon tomorrow. Randwick has a long historic rivalry with Gordon and apart from needing the win to absolutely secure

our first grade spot in the playoffs, this long held grudge will see Randwick take the field with loads of winning attitude. Whereas

we favour free running style rugby, Gordon are big on a fowards-led grind and strong tactical kicking type of

game. As the weather at the moment is not looking too good, I'd have to say it favours the Gordon style of play (boring!)

and they will have the home crowd advantage.

I'm expecting this to lift Gordon's game and I've prepared and briefed the boys to come with a 20% increase in determination

and will to win. The first grade team is looking healthier this week and across all grades it will be a stronger Randwick team

running onto Chatswood Oval.

Come and support the boys - any Randwick presence will be a big help. Up the Wicks!

Game times are as follows:

Grade at Chatswood Oval

First Grade - 3.00pm

Second Grade - 1.25pm

Third Grade - 12.10pm

Fourth Grade - 10.55am

Colts at Coogee Oval

First Grade - 3.00pm

Second Grade - 1.35pm

Third Grade - 12.10pm

Up the Wicks

Randwick Rugby's legendary Jeff Sayle graced the front page of this weeks Southern Courier. Below is the article that

appeared on the upcoming Hall of Fame Inductees Lunch.

Reach for the Stars

By Nick Moncrieff-Hill

Since 1882 the Randwick Rugby Club has produced a steady flow of remarkable talent.Now, this cornerstone of club rugby

is set to announce its ultimate team.

Like many good ideas, the concept of a Randwick Rugby Hall of Fame was born over a few cold beverages at the club.

A stroke of genius for such a prolific institution, but the hard part came one drink later: Who would make the cut?

Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Sayle said there were five players who warranted selection for each position, and

"more than enough for a second team that could probably beat the first lot".

The Galloping Greens are respected the world over for their free-flowing style of football that was a thrill to behold,

and by all accounts, a delight to play.

"It was a privilege to play with a club that had such a fantastic style of rugby," inductee Simon Poidevin said.

"That's what attracted me to Randwick."

According to Sayle, the Greens' unique style of football originated in the 1920s with players such as Cyril Towers

and Walley Meagher.

Fellow Hall of Famer Warwick Waugh described it as something that "goes deep into the fabric of the Randwick district".

"It was where I learned to play the game, and learned to love the game," he said.

Individual genius has flourished at the club for years but it's the bond among players that lasts in the memories of

the greats, and has made the club what it is today, said Sayle.

"It's all about enjoyment, fulfilment of your own goals in life and being able to do it in a team atmosphere," he said.

While Randwick has always fielded outstanding teams, its most successful period has been the past 50 years.

In the seasons from 1959 to 2006, Randwick missed making the first grade semi-finals on seven occasions,

won 22 premierships, played in every grand final from 1977 to 1992, won five successive premierships from 1978 to 1982,

and six successive premierships from 1987 to 1992. Randwick has won the Australian club championship five times.

Randwick has also won the NSW club championship on 28 occasions, 71 lower grade premierships and 22 colts premierships.

You can make comments and look at the photo's that accompanied the article by clicking on the link below:

http://southern-courier.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/reach-for-the-stars/

First Grade

Randwick 14 loss to Eastwood 40

 By Mark Giacheri

 Despite the score line finishing against us, the Randwick boys played the game with an excellent attitude and with great attacking spirit. In fact on Saturday I saw some of the best play we have played in weeks and we certainly were a much improved team from the week before. Randwick had a few unlucky moments which enabled Eastwood to score.

 The team should provide itself every opportunity to make the play-offs, if we can produce the same improved performance and capitalise on opportunities as they come when we encounter Gordon this coming Saturday.

Three points this week to Bevu Tuquiri for some magical attack from him, always leaving the Eastwood defence guessing.

Two points to Gene Fairbanks for great running and passing game and for all round support play.

One point to Seilala Lam who with his physical strength was a consistent handful for Eastwood.

Third grade are at the top of the competition table and ousted Eastwood on Saturday by 34 to 5. The Licensed Club's Secretary Manager Matt Curtis scored two tries  - check out this legend in action on Saturday here:

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Colts

First Grade

By Ben Rutherford

1st Colts went down in an absolute nail-biter to Eastwood at TG Millner field on Saturday 34-28. In a match that included some absolutely sensational length of the field team tries from the Randwick side - this was a fast paced, physically demanding game with both teams leaving nothing in the tank at full-time.
 
While a disappointing and heartbreaking result, the positive taken from the match are the 2 crucial bonus points that were secured which keeps our season alive. We now face a must-win game against Gordon at Coogee Oval on Saturday to make the semi-finals.
 
As we head into the last regular season game of the year for colts, we do so on the back of a big improvement at lineout time and a solid scrum which allowed our lethal backline to at times carve the Woodies to pieces. Our focus for the week ahead will look to ensure we maintain composure under pressure while retaining possession and continue working hard in defence. 
 
Bring on Saturday - please head down to Coogee Oval to help support colts with 3's kicking off at 12:20pm.

Randwick v Eastwood at Coogee Oval (3:10pm, ABC TV)
Eastwood continued its quest for the minor premiership with a comprehensive 40-14 victory over Randwick at Coogee Oval.

The Woodies jumped out of the blocks with two penalties and a converted try to James Foote inside the first seven minutes to hold a 13-0 lead after just seven minutes.

That was followed by another try to HSBC Waratahs hooker Damien Fitzpatrick in the 15th minute and a third penalty to Ben Batger in the 23rd minute which took the scoreline out to 21-0.

Brent Kelly hit back for the home side with a converted try in the 30th minute however Randwick couldn't take advantage of more opportunities in the run-in to half-time and failed to eat into Eastwood's 14-point lead.

That margin extended less than one minute into the second half when John Grant crossed in the left corner after Sione Piukala picked off an intercept.

Keiran Longbottom was shown a yellow card for slowing down the ball however Randwick were unable take any points when Eastwood were down to 14-men. And when Grant shrugged off three tacklers to score his second try under the posts, Eastwood had not only earned a bonus point but had opened up a match-winning lead.

Dave Rimmer put the nail in the coffin with a runaway intercept try before Patrick Phibbs picked up a consolation try in the final minute.

Eastwood now hold a six-point lead at the top of the competition ladder however Manly could close that margin when they meet Sydney University later tonight. Randwick are still not guaranteed of a playoff position, however a victory against Gordon next week would lock in a semi-final berth.

Eastwood 40 (John Grant 2, James Foote, Damien Fitzpatrick, Dave Rimmer tries; Ben Batger 3 cons, 3 pens) d Randwick 14 (Brent Kelly, Patrick Phibbs tries; Danny Kroll con, Bevu Tuqiri con) at Coogee Oval. HT: Eastwood 21-7. Referee: Angus Gardner.

Tooheys New Shute Shield - Round 20 Scores
Eastwood 40 d Randwick 14 at T.G. Millner Field
Southern Districts 53 d Northern Suburbs 26 at Forshaw Rugby Park
West Harbour 37 d Parramatta 36 at Granville Park
Gordon 26 d Penrith 21 at Nepean Rugby Park
Eastern Suburbs 45 d Warringah 29 at Woollahra Oval
Sydney University 20 d Manly 17 at University Oval No.1

First Grade

By Mark Giacheri

Randwick 18 versus West Harbour 43

It was a tough day at the office for Randwick at Coogee oval on Saturday. Despite the sunshine and our faithful home crowd we went down 18 to 43. The Randwick teams (first and second grade) were wrecked with a number of injuries and Wallaby squad members leaving for South Africa.

We played with conviction for the first 30 minutes and were on target to stick to our game plan. However our discipline let us down and we began to give away penalties,  putting us on the wrong side of the refereeing. Wests scored in the last minutes of half time and returned to the field to score immediately as the second half begun. Randwick reacted with catch-up rugby and from there, the game went pear shaped. We didn't cope with the pressure from West Harbour and all credit to Wests, particularly their HSBC Waratahs centre Rory Sidey who grabbed a hat-trick with three tries. We were outscored six tries to two.

• Three points to Tom Tombleson, solid in defence and dangerous in attack, good all round performance as well as scoring our only two tries.
• Two points to John Tamanika, did all that was asked of him, strong in defence and some penetrating breaks in attack.
• One point to Lotu Taukeiaho, continues to prove to be our most consistent performer in the forwards.

Here are Tom Tombleson's tries:

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With only three games to go Randwick cannot afford to waste any more opportunities. Our team will be the same this week as we tackle Eastwood at Coogee Oval on Saturday.  We will be working very hard in training this week to ensure we take the field on Saturday with confidence and with our winning boots on.

It's Ladies Day on Saturday at Randwick - don't miss a great afternoon in the sun!

Colts - First Grade

By Ben Rutherford

West Harbour ran out convincing winners 64-13 in a one sided-affair at Concord Oval on Saturday. Facing an uphill battle following the loss of skipper Matt Slyney and the late withdrawal of fullback Ethan Ford, the Randwick side would go on to lose stand-in captain and flanker Bryce Speechley and lock Tom Wetherall to injury in the first 20 mins making the task even harder.

Starting the game well, Randwick led 6-0 before a domino effect of scrappy set piece ball and poor defence crept into the game and would lead to the big loss. However the positive for a much improved 1st Colts team in 2010 is the fact we remain in the top 6 and the hunt for a semi-final berth with two rounds to go.

Tane Parata-McMillan secured the three player points for his outstanding work rate across the park while halfback Liam Walker collected two points for his industrious effort in trying circumstances. Number 8 Zeb Holmes-Baer again provided strong go forward in attack to score one point.

Bring on the Woodies up at TG Millner field as we look to quickly rebound with a win. Up the Wicks!

Randwick Rugby Club is proud to announce a new partnership with Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick. By raising much needed funds at our rugby games, we can show our support of this fantastic local Hospital that cares for our kids. Starting at the Randwick vs Eastwood game on 28 August, we'll be bucket collecting and selling raffle tickets, so please dig deep and help us make a difference to the lives of the Hospital's young patients. Sydney Children's Hospital relies heavily on community funding from organisations and people like the Randwick Rugby Club and its members to touch the lives of more than 315,000 children every year.

First Grade

By Mark Giacheri

Randwick versus Norths

It was a nail-biting start to our match against the red and black shoremen. Despite Randwick's intense pressure from the very start some individual errors proved costly and Norths had two tries as a result, with long runs down the field to score. It seemed that our hard work in attack was resulting in points for Norths instead of points for Randwick! With minutes to go before half time we were able to regain some ground but the score was still 24 - 7 to Norths as we went into the sheds.  At half time I emphasised to the boys that we were clearly the better team and it was time to stop the individual errors. Our forwards were stronger and we changed tack from passing out wide to concentrating on getting through the middle. With the words confidence and composure going through their heads, the boys took the field and steadily and slowly brought the score back to finish the game ahead by three points, Randwick 33 to Norths 30. The Norths coach did pass comment that Norths need to learn to play for eighty minutes but the Randwick boys are to be  congratulated for putting their heads down and getting on with the job. The end result was five Randwick tries to three Norths tries. Have a look at two of the tries here:

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• Three points this week for Nick Cummins (11) who was outstanding in defence saving a couple of tries and who was also a handful in attack for the opposition.
• Two points for Mark Chisolm (4) for his big work rate, hearty defence and solid ball carrying.
• One point for Lotu Taukeiaho (3) for giving his all in scrums and for consistent ball carrying.

This week we are playing West Harbour at Coogee and we are looking forward to a game on the home oval. It's the business end of the season and our second half against Norths has given us a strong confidence boost - watch out West Harbour!

Second Grade

By Craig Morrison

2nd grade managed to hold onto their top spot on the ladder after a hard and uncompromising battle with a strengthened Norths side that were playing for their survival in the competition. In a physical and entertaining game, Norths were first to score a try after some very good sustained pressure and with a further penalty conversion, led 0-10 early. Missed tackles hurt us in the first quarter of the game as did an inability to match the enthusiasm and speed of the Norths attack. Despite this we were able to get back into the game with some very hard running and good support play. Tony Luxford then found a gap in the norths ruck defence to set up our first try (7-10).

For the first time in a long run of matches, ill discipline crept into our game as Norths were successful in drawing us into their niggle and chat away from the play. Coupled with our frustration at the pressure Norths were applying at the ruck contest, our poor discipline led to two yellow cards in the fifteen minutes before half time. Whilst we may have felt that decisions had largely gone against us to this point, we need to learn that taking frustrations out on referees only makes things worse. Fortunately, the yellow cards worked to our advantage as we began to use our heads better and find yards around the ruck to negate the hard drifting defence of Norths. As we began to apply the same pressure back, Norths conceded two penalties which Toby Browne converted  - meaning that we scored 6-0 with thirteen players. The half time score was 13-8

In the second half we played with a lot more purpose and conviction, maintaining pressure in attack and not missing as many first up tackles. Still, the one time we did, Norths backs were quick and skilled enough to take advantage for a seven pointer. With the scores now level at 13-13 we had 20 minutes in which to end Norths season which many teams would be happy for given their playing roster and ability to beat top teams. And so with ten minutes to play, a slightly concussed Matthew McKay managed to hold onto a lovely wide ball after multiple phases, to cross for his second try and take us to an 18-13 lead. Norths were not finished and added a penalty to go 16-18, but that's where it ended.

Form players for second grade were Justin Terry, Dave Parsons, Matthew McKay, Tony Luxford, Toby Browne and John Tamanika. Second grade now share top spot with Warringah after their bonus point win over Parramatta.

After great wins over Southern Districts and Warringah, 2nd grade last Sunday enjoyed the hospitality of Anthony Bell aboard his boat "GHOST" for a day on the harbour. With the aim of bonding together and setting goals for the remainder of the season, there is no doubt that these were achieved along with some lasting memories. The patrons and owners at Manly Wharf were particularly welcoming as the boys strutted like rock stars, constantly being mistaken for people who actually are famous. The messages left by Anthony and this day event must be intrinsic to what we do from here.

First Grade Colts

By Benny Rutherford

1st Colts continued their winning ways over a competitive Norths side and secured a vital bonus point in a 29-18 win on a sensational winter Saturday afternoon at Coogee Oval.

With the race to the semi-finals as tight as ever, everything was again on the line and the boys delivered to move into fifth position. Coming up against a team determined to slow the ball down and frustrate a Randwick side intent on attacking through use of quick ball, the best on ground were hooker Cameron Kesby who collected the 3 player points for his usual non-stop work across the park which included a try following one destructive run. Fullback Ethan Ford nabbed 2 points after again showing his knack of being in the right place at the right time to score 2 tries and industrious Number 8 Zeb Holmes-Baer finished with 1 point for his ever reliable go forward in attack.

The focus now shifts to a huge game against West Harbour at Concord Oval who currently sit second on the table. Here's hoping a Randwick side full of exciting young talent can continue to work hard together and again deliver when it counts against the odds.

Randwick Rugby Club/St Hilliers University of NSW Scholarships

- Apply Now!

Every year Randwick Rugby Club and St Hilliers provide two sponsorships to the University of NSW for undergraduate students in either the Australian School of Business or the Faculty of the Built Environment. Applicants must be making, or intending to make a significant contribution to the Randwick District Rugby Union Club Inc either as players or in another capacity. Preference will be given to applicants who intend to play for the club. The scholarships are worth $6,500 per annum. The closing date for applications is 30^th November 2010. This will allow the successful applicants to attend pre-season training. For more information please go to

https://scholarships.online.unsw.edu.au/scholarship/sc_al_search_detail.display_scholarship_details?p_session=&p_scholarship_specific_id=30&p_schedule_id=928