Sydney (NRC team)

Sydney logo adopted 2019
Union	NSW Rugby [1]
Founded	2007 (2007) (as Central Coast Rays) re-formed as North Harbour 2014, Sydney 2016.
Disbanded	2020 (competition disbanded)
Location	Sydney, Australia
Ground(s)	(Capacity: 5,000) Woollahra Oval
Coach(es)	Chris Whitaker
Captain(s)	Lalakai Foketi
League(s)	National Rugby Championship
2018	8th
Team kit

Sydney is an Australian rugby union team that competed in the National Rugby Championship (NRC). Formerly known as Sydney Rays, the team is one of two sides from New South Wales in the competition; the other being the NSW Country Eagles.

The current team plays as the all-of-Sydney side in the NRC and wears the traditional blue and yellow colours of Sydney's representative rugby teams.^[2] It draws on the metropolitan sides that have represented the city for more than a century.^[2][3] In 2019 the NRC side adopted as its logo the anchor insignia of the Sydney Rugby Union, which dates back to at least 1970.^[4]

The team was known as the North Harbour Rays before 2016. It was renamed Sydney during a consolidation which reduced the number of NRC teams in the city from three in 2014 to eventually just one by 2018.^[2] The North Harbour Rays had been formed as consortium of four Sydney clubs; Gordon, Manly, Northern Suburbs, and Warringah in 2014.^[5]

North Harbour took its identity from the Central Coast Rays side that played in the earlier national competition, the Australian Rugby Championship (ARC) in 2007. It had been backed by the same four Sydney clubs, along with the Central Coast Waves.^[5]

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 newly formed competition included eight teams and was called the Australian Rugby Championship.^[6] Three of those teams were based in New South Wales, including a Central Coast team.^[7]

Central Coast logo 2007.

The Central Coast Rays team was officially launched in March 2007 by the New South Wales Rugby Union (NSWRU). The Rays' emerald and navy colours represented the ocean and bush landscape of the region.^[8] The team logo featured a manta ray in navy blue, outlined in white, on a stylised emerald green and white rugby ball.^[8]

The Rays' local rivals in the ARC were the Sydney Fleet and the Western Sydney Rams. The three ARC teams from New South Wales were aligned with existing clubs and regions. The clubs aligned with the Central Coast Rays were Gordon, Manly, Northern Suburbs, and Warringah, from the Shute Shield competition, as well as the Central Coast Waves.

The Central Coast Rays played their home games at the Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium at Gosford, on the New South Wales Central Coast. Bluetongue Stadium, with an all-seater capacity of 20,159, had previously hosted numerous rugby union fixtures including Central Coast Waves matches and New South Wales Waratahs matches during the Australian Provincial Championship.^[9]

John McKee was the head coach of the Central Coast team.^[10][11] He had previously coached the Eastwood club and worked with French club Montferrand and Irish team Connacht.^[10]

After finishing second on the league table, the Central Coast Rays came from behind against the Perth Spirit in their semi-final, winning 27 to 19. The Rays hosted the Melbourne Rebels in the inaugural ARC Grand Final and won 20 to 12, becoming the inaugural (and only) champions of the ARC.

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 Central Coast Rays team was disbanded at the end of the ARC.

North Harbour Rays (left); Sydney Rays (right) logos

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

In March 2014 it was announced that the Rays would be revived as the North Harbour Rays to compete in the new National Rugby Championship.^[13] The new Rays team was backed by a consortium of the same four Shute Shield clubs involved in earlier Central Coast Rays team: Manly, Warringah, Northern Suburbs and Gordon.^[14]

The team played in a quartered harlequin-style strip composed of blue, red, and two shades of green from the four constituent clubs. The sleeves were gold and black, collar and shorts were white and all four clubs’ colours were featured on the socks.^[15]

The Rays secured Macquarie University as their principal partner on a two-year deal, to be officially be known as the Macquarie University North Harbour Rays for the 2014 and 2015 NRC seasons.^[16]

Phil Blake was initially appointed as the Rays head coach for the 2014 season, with Scott Fava, Haig Sare and Geoff Townsend as part of the coaching staff,^[17] but after Blake accepted a coaching opportunity with Leicester Tigers, Geoff Townsend was promoted to the head coaching position,^[18]

Damien Cummins replaced Fava as the forwards coach in 2014,^[18] and Greg Peterson was named as captain.^[19] In 2015, Townsend was reappointed as head coach,^[20] and Luke Holmes was named as captain.

The team was renamed the Sydney Rays for the 2016 season.^[21] Southern Districts considered switching allegiance to the Rays in 2016,^[21] but remained with the Rams.^[22] Damien Cummins was initially named as head coach in 2016 but he stepped down and Simon Cron was appointed to the job.^[23] The Rays performed well that year and lost only once in the regular season – to eventual minor premiers NSW Country – before being knocked out in a semi-final by the Perth Spirit, who went on to win the NRC title.

Two wooden spoon seasons followed in 2017 and 2018 under, respectively, Julian Huxley ^[24] and Chris Whitaker.^[25] The Rays' moniker and logo were dropped in 2019, a year after New South Wales Rugby had taken control of the Sydney team. Whitaker was reappointed head coach ^[26] and Sydney adopted the traditional masoned crown and anchor insignia of the Sydney Rugby Union for the NRC team's logo, although the anchor had been used on the plaquet of the collar ^[27] and in promotional material the year before.^[28] The Sydney Fleet ARC team had a similar crest in 2007.^[29]

The Sydney team plays in a blue jersey with two yellow hoops on the chest that is based on the traditional design worn by Sydney representative teams for many years.^[2] The blue and yellow colours were adopted in 2018, and are the colours featured on the City of Sydney coat of arms.

For the ARC in 2007, the Central Coast Rays played in a predominantly green and blue jersey. From 2014 to 2017, the North Harbour Rays team wore harlequin-style quartered strips in the various colours of its four constituent clubs.^[15]

2007 (ARC)

2014–2015

2016–2017

2018

2019

As of 2019^[update], Sydney play their home matches at Woollahra Oval No.1. The team has its training base at the University of NSW in Sydney's eastern suburbs, the same facility used by the Waratahs.^[1]

From 2014 to 2017, the team played at several venues north of the harbour including Macquarie University and Brookvale Oval, as well as the home grounds of three of the four clubs from the Ray's ownership consortium at the time: Northern Suburbs, Manly and Warringah (i.e. at North Sydney Oval, Manly Oval and Pittwater Park, respectively). In 2018, the Sydney Rays played south of the harbour at Concord, Leichhardt and Woollahra.

For the ARC in 2007, the Rays played at Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium.

With the reemergence of the competition in the form of the NRC, fans from Manly and Warringah rugby heartland - tragic supporters of the game - formed the 'STRAYS'. In the spirit of rugby and the NRC they came together to make sure the new club had support in the local community and to 'enrich the sideline experience'. Its members were drawn to the common cause by the founder, Michael Gordon.^{[citation needed]}

The squad for the 2019 NRC season:

Fly-half Will Harrison

Prop Shambeckler Vui

• National Rugby Championship
  • Playoff appearances: 2016
• Australian Rugby Championship
  • Champions: 2007

National Rugby Championship

Year	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	BP	Pts	Play-offs
2018	8th	7	0	0	7	167	364	−197	1	1	Did not compete
2017	8th	8	3	0	5	238	322	–84	1	13	Did not compete
2016	2nd	7	6	0	1	258	174	+84	3	27	Lost semifinal by 24–42 to Perth Spirit
2015	7th	8	2	0	6	275	339	−64	3	11	Did not compete
2014	7th	8	2	2	4	240	327	−87	0	12	Did not compete

Australian Rugby Championship

Year	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	BP	Pts	Play-offs
2007	2nd	8	5	0	3	268	159	109	6	26	Champions

• Chris Whitaker (2018–present) ^[25][26]
• Julian Huxley (2017) ^[24]
• Simon Cron (2016) ^[23]
• Geoff Townsend (2014–15)
• John McKee (2007)

• Lalakai Foketi (2019) ^[34]
• Damien Fitzpatrick (2017–2018) ^[35][36]
• Matt Lucas (2016)
• Luke Holmes (2015)
• Greg Peterson (2014)
• Cameron Treloar (2007)

2016 Sydney Rays squad – NRC
The following players were named in the Sydney Rays' squad for the 2016 National Rugby Championship:[37]
	Props Lawrence Hunting Ezra Luxton Rory O'Connor Angus Ta'avao Hookers Damien Fitzpatrick James Hilterbrand Locks James Brown Adrian Hall Nick Palmer Angus Ryan		Loose forwards Harry Bergelin Jack Dempsey Michael Hooper1 Will Miller Hugh Sinclair Michael Smith Michael Wells Scrum-halves Michael Dowsett Matt Lucas (c) Dewett Roos Fly-halves Sam Lane Angus Sinclair		Centres Harry Jones Dennis Pili-Gaitau Irae Simone Seb Wileman Wingers Tyson Davis Con Foley Rob Horne1 Jonathan Malo Richard Woolf Fullbacks Cameron Clark Josh Turner (c) Team captain Bold denotes internationally capped players at the time 1 Allocated national player additional to contracted squad.

2015 North Harbour Rays squad – NRC
The following players were named in the North Harbour Rays' squad for the 2015 National Rugby Championship:[38]
	Props Wayne Borsak Mitch Lewis Lawrence Hunting Alexander Northam Rory O'Connor Scott Sio Hookers Vance Elloitt James Hilterbrand Luke Holmes (c) James Wilkinson Locks Ed Gower Richard Hooper Nick Palmer Harry Rorke Cameron Treloar Ruairidh Wilson		Loose forwards Harry Bergelin Jack Dempsey Michael Hooper1 Mark Johnson Boyd Killingworth Sam Ward Scrum-halves Tim Donlan Tim Duchene Josh Holmes Fly-halves Hamish Angus Sam Lane		Centres John Fakai Tom Hill Dennis Pili-Gaitau John Porch Wingers Michael Adams Sione 'Ala Tyson Davis Alex Northam Richard Woolf Fullbacks Dave Feltscheer Reece Hodge (c) Team captain Bold denotes internationally capped players at the time 1 Allocated national player additional to contracted squad.

2014 North Harbour Rays squad – NRC
The following players were named in the North Harbour Rays' squad for the 2014 National Rugby Championship:[39][40][41]
	Props Leeroy Atalifo Nick Fraser Kevin McNamara Dane Maraki Rory O'Connor Mitch Lewis Hookers Luke Holmes David Porecki Locks Scott Fardy1 Ed Gower Ryan Melrose Greg Peterson (c)		Loose forwards Kotoni Ale Harry Bergelin James Cunningham Jack Dempsey Michael Hooper1 Boyd Killingworth Wycliff Palu1 Sam Ward Michael Wells Scrum-halves Josh Holmes Terry Preston Matt Lucas Fly-halves Hamish Angus Scott Daruda Sam VaeVae		Centres Jac Cameron Mali Hingano Tom Matthews Brian Sefanaia Wingers Michael Adams Harry Jones Sireli Tagicakibau Fullbacks Cam Crawford David Feltscheer (c) Team captain Bold denotes internationally capped players at the time 1 Allocated national player additional to contracted squad.

2007 Central Coast Rays squad – ARC
	Props Al Baxter Ofa Fainga’anuku Nick Lah Rod Moore Aaron Tawera Hookers Alex Gluth Al Manning Dustin McGregor Locks John Adams Nifo Nifo Chris Thompson Cameron Treloar		Loose forwards Ross Duncan Steve Evans Jared Waerea-Hargreaves Jason Peseta Wycliff Palu Vili Ratu Beau Robinson Dylan Sigg Scrum-halves Brett Sheehan Fly-halves Clint Eadie David Harvey Sam Norton-Knight		Centres Sam Harris Ben Jacobs Wings Jordan Macey Pat McCabe Jye Mullane Andrew Smith Fullbacks Peter Hewat (c) Team captain Bold denotes internationally capped players at the time

• 
  North Harbour Rays scrum under the Scoreboard
• 
  North Harbour Rays warm up pre Round 8 game
• 
  North Harbour Rays scrum under the Grandstand
• 
  North Harbour Rays post match huddle
• 
  Curtis Rona playing for Sydney in 2018

• New South Wales Waratahs
• Shute Shield
• Gordon RFC
• Manly RUFC
• Northern Suburbs Rugby Club
• Warringah Rugby Club

Wikimedia Commons has media related to North Harbour Rays.

• Official website (archived)
• Decline of NSW NRC at the Wayback Machine (archived 16 September 2018)