RAMS GET NEW TURF
THE Geelong Rams Rugby Union Football Club has traded in its ramshackle ground for plush new surroundings.
Last week, the club said goodbye to its beaten-down venue at the old Flin- ders Peak Secondary School site with a historic junior derby.
Teams from all over Victoria rallied to the site to bid their farewells.
After years of campaigning, the Geelong council has answered the requests of the club. Construction of the replacement grounds at the current site has commenced.
The grounds are expected to be completed by next July, just in time for the start of the new season.
Geelong Rams junior manager Toby Durden described the existing conditions of the Corio grounds as outdated, decayed and vandalised.
The new venue will feature updated lights, a multi-use pavilion, and will be shared with the Geelong Buccaneers gridiron club.
Durden said the replacement facilities are expected to deliver immeasurable benefits to the club.
“We’re looking for membership growth and a much more welcoming atmosphere at the ground. And with the new rooms, we think people will be more inclined to stay after a game or enjoy some hospitality,” he said.
Durden said a new sense of community has been fostered within the club, due to many members living in the local area. He believes the new facilities will continue to ignite this community feel.
“It’s really encouraging,” he said.