Fortunes change for Rodney Rams League Club after $10,000 cash injection

The Rodney Rams Rugby League Club has fallen on hard times in recent years after being devastated by a fire in 2014. But their fortunes are set to change after winning the Woodstock Rugby League Club Fix Up competition, worth $10,000.

An electrical fire tore through the clubrooms in 2014. Club Secretary Denise Crimp said unfortunately they were underinsured, with the payout only enough to cover the building framework.

“We’ve been going without for years. With no kitchen or bathroom the building’s officially unusable.”

The club has been operating out of a shipping container as a temporary measure. Denise Crimp says the impact on the local league community has been huge.

“We’re the only league club from Whangaparoa to Whangarei. The players, and the old boys who’ve known the club for years were distraught. Memorabilia, photos, old trophies, it was all gone.”

As winners of Woodstock’s Rugby League Club Fix-Up Competition, the prize money is going toward a brand new bathroom. This means while they’ll still be without a kitchen, hopefully with Council consent the club building can be opened for use.

“We’re absolutely thrilled – getting the bathroom completed means we’re on the way to getting our clubrooms back up and running properly.”

Club supporter and Old Boy Darrell Growden said he was inspired to do something for the club after witnessing the wreckage.

“I drove past my old club for the first time in a long time, and saw what was left of the building after the fire, it was a pretty stink feeling to see it that way.”

He entered the Rams in the competition after seeing it advertised on the Woodstock Facebook page.

“Me and a couple of people from the club reached out to a few high profile organisations but none had any extra resources to help, so this is huge.”

Rugby League has a long history in New Zealand and Woodstock Bourbon and Cola is proud to support the code, says Woodstock Bourbon and Cola Category Manager, Laura Youngman.

“While we have high profile sponsorships with the likes of the Vodafone NZ Warriors and the NRL Auckland Nines, we realise that if we want to continue producing great players, like Shaun Johnson and Manu Vatuvei, then rugby league needs to be supported at the grassroots, community level as well.”

“It’s awesome to be able to support the Rodney Rams, especially after the hardship they’ve been through.

The Rodney Rams League Club are set to commence installing ablutions next month.

ENDS

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