Warringah Rugby Club
Encyclopedia
Warringah Rugby Club is a rugby union
club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney
, New South Wales
. Only located 25 km from the city centre, the club is close to many magnificent beaches, the Sydney Academy of Sport and Narrabeen Lake. The club currently competes in the New South Wales Rugby Union
competitions, the Shute Shield
and Tooheys New Cup
. Warringah Rugby has one of the largest numbers of registered junior players in Australia.
The Senior Club was formed to supplement the already established Warringah Junior Rugby Union and commenced playing in the Sydney second division in 1964. Its aims were to provide rugby for juniors, colts and grade players and to eventually join the 1st Division Championship competition. In 1970 the Club won the 2nd Division 1st grade Premiership and was promoted to the 1st Division for the 1971 season.
More affectionately known as the Rats or Ratties, the club took on this tag after experiencing many difficult years with many humiliating defeats. The players were reminded by Doug Leslie Snr (Rats of Tobruk), that to give up in the face of adversity is never an option. The tradition of the Rats of Tobruk, of bonding together and making commitments in the true spirit of mateship should always be remembered and will prevail just in the same way as the Desert Rats of Tobruk prevailed. From that time on the Club became known as the Green Rats and their long held friendship with the ‘Rats of Tobruk Veterans Association’ and their legacy is honoured by a memorial on the hill at the southern end of ‘Rat Park’.
Australia A / Emerging Wallabies
-Scotland /
Morocco Abdel Benazzi - France Michael Lipman
- England Danny Cipriani
- England
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Only located 25 km from the city centre, the club is close to many magnificent beaches, the Sydney Academy of Sport and Narrabeen Lake. The club currently competes in the New South Wales Rugby Union
New South Wales Rugby Union
The New South Wales Rugby Union is the organisation responsible for the sport of rugby union in most of the state of New South Wales, Australia...
competitions, the Shute Shield
Shute Shield
The Shute Shield is a rugby union competition in Sydney, New South Wales. It is the premier grade rugby trophy in NSW rugby. The Shute Shield is awarded at the end of the Sydney Club Rugby season to the team that wins the Grand Final...
and Tooheys New Cup
Tooheys New Cup
The Tooheys New Cup is a rugby union competition established by the New South Wales Rugby Union in 2002 as a stepping stone between the existing grade rugby and Super 14 competitions. Open to the existing 12 grade clubs, the TNC features Super 14 players not on international duty and the...
. Warringah Rugby has one of the largest numbers of registered junior players in Australia.
Club history
The club was formed in 1963 due to a high demand of junior rugby players searching for clubs on the northern peninsula. Being one of the most rapidly developing areas in Sydney at the time this subsequently led to the establishment in the 1962/1963 season of the Warringah Junior Rugby Union.The Senior Club was formed to supplement the already established Warringah Junior Rugby Union and commenced playing in the Sydney second division in 1964. Its aims were to provide rugby for juniors, colts and grade players and to eventually join the 1st Division Championship competition. In 1970 the Club won the 2nd Division 1st grade Premiership and was promoted to the 1st Division for the 1971 season.
More affectionately known as the Rats or Ratties, the club took on this tag after experiencing many difficult years with many humiliating defeats. The players were reminded by Doug Leslie Snr (Rats of Tobruk), that to give up in the face of adversity is never an option. The tradition of the Rats of Tobruk, of bonding together and making commitments in the true spirit of mateship should always be remembered and will prevail just in the same way as the Desert Rats of Tobruk prevailed. From that time on the Club became known as the Green Rats and their long held friendship with the ‘Rats of Tobruk Veterans Association’ and their legacy is honoured by a memorial on the hill at the southern end of ‘Rat Park’.
Club information
- Club Name: Warringah Rugby Club
- Nickname: The Rats
- Founded: 1963
- Home stadium: Pittwater ParkPittwater ParkPittwater Park is a rugby stadium in Warriewood, New South Wales, Australia. It is located 500 metres from North Narrabeen beach within the reserve of the area...
, Narrabeen - Head coach: Sam Harris/Gordon Longrigg
- Club Captain: Edward Doyle
- Uniform colors: Green & White
- Founding President William 'Bill' Simpson
Australia Male International representatives
- Rod MacQueen - Ex Coach (Rats/Australia)
- Dominic Vaughan
- Enrique 'Topo' RodriguezEnrique 'Topo' RodriguezEnrique Edgardo Rodríguez , popularly known as Topo is a Argentina-born former international rugby union player who played for Cordoba Province Team, Argentina and Australia; representing the Wallabies at the 1st Rugby World Cup in 1987.He also represented the South American Jaguars at test level ...
- Stephen Lidbury
- Mark Bell
- Manuel Edmonds
- Mark GerrardMark GerrardMark Gerrard is an Australian professional rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby competition. In 2011 he was one of 10 players nominated to become the competition's Super Rugby player of the year....
- Lachlan Mackay
- Wycliff PaluWycliff PaluWycliff Palu is an Australian rugby union footballer of Tongan descent. He plays for the New South Wales Waratahs in the international Super Rugby competition...
- Brett SheehanBrett SheehanBrett Sheehan is an Australian rugby union footballer. He plays for the New South Wales Waratahs in the Super 14 tournament. He was also included in Australia's squad for matches during the 2006 Tri Nations Series....
- Patrick McCabePatrick McCabePatrick McCabe is an Irish novelist, known for his mostly dark and violent novels set in contemporary, often small-town, Ireland. His books include The Butcher Boy and Breakfast on Pluto , both shortlisted for the Booker Prize...
- Pekaou Cowan
- Beau RobinsonBeau RobinsonBeau Robinson is an Australian rugby union player currently contracted to the QLD Reds. Robinson made his NSW debut against the Brumbies in the 2006 Australian Provincial Championships. He plays primarily as an openside flanker and was the back-up to Phil Waugh at NSW before gaining a starting...
Australia A / Emerging Wallabies
- Mark Catchpole
- George Websdale
- Andrew Apps
- Craig Coffey
- Ray Smith
Australia Female International representatives
- Bronnie Mackintosh
- Genevieve Delves
- Lisa Fiaola
- Jamie Blazejewski
- Cheryl Soon
- Jenny Williams
- Brownyn Calvert
- Helen Theunissen
- Chris Ross
- Alex Hargreaves
- Cobie-Jane Morgan
- Tui Ormsby
Former players who have represented other nations
Gregor TownsendGregor Townsend
Gregor Peter John Townsend MBE is a former Scottish rugby union player who played at fly-half, full back and latterly centre....
-Scotland /
Morocco Abdel Benazzi - France Michael LipmanMichael Lipman
Michael Lipman is an English rugby union footballer, who plays at Flanker, and is contracted to the Melbourne Rebels.Lipman has also played at International level for England.-Early career in Australia:...
- England Danny Cipriani
Danny Cipriani
Daniel Jerome Cipriani is an English rugby union footballer. He plays fly-half, centre and fullback. He has played for London Wasps and England. He's currently playing his first season of Super Rugby as a member of the inaugural Melbourne Rebels squad.-Biography:Danny Cipriani is mixed-race, his...
- England
- Enrique 'Toppo' Rodriguez - Argentina
Current Super Rugby players
- Mark GerrardMark GerrardMark Gerrard is an Australian professional rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby competition. In 2011 he was one of 10 players nominated to become the competition's Super Rugby player of the year....
- Melbourne RebelsMelbourne RebelsThe Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia... - Brett SheehanBrett SheehanBrett Sheehan is an Australian rugby union footballer. He plays for the New South Wales Waratahs in the Super 14 tournament. He was also included in Australia's squad for matches during the 2006 Tri Nations Series....
- Western ForceWestern ForceWestern Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th... - Wycliff PaluWycliff PaluWycliff Palu is an Australian rugby union footballer of Tongan descent. He plays for the New South Wales Waratahs in the international Super Rugby competition...
- WaratahsNew South Wales WaratahsThe New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition... - Michael LipmanMichael LipmanMichael Lipman is an English rugby union footballer, who plays at Flanker, and is contracted to the Melbourne Rebels.Lipman has also played at International level for England.-Early career in Australia:...
- Melbourne RebelsMelbourne RebelsThe Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia... - Pat McCabe - Brumbies
- Hugh Pyle - Melbourne RebelsMelbourne RebelsThe Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia...
- Danny CiprianiDanny CiprianiDaniel Jerome Cipriani is an English rugby union footballer. He plays fly-half, centre and fullback. He has played for London Wasps and England. He's currently playing his first season of Super Rugby as a member of the inaugural Melbourne Rebels squad.-Biography:Danny Cipriani is mixed-race, his...
- Melbourne RebelsMelbourne RebelsThe Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia... - Luke Holmes - Melbourne RebelsMelbourne RebelsThe Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia...