Randwick Rugby Announcement

First Grade Head Coach 2023 - Status Update

Randwick District Rugby Union Football Club today announces that Ben McCormack has elected NOT to seek reappointment as Randwick’s First Grade Head Coach for the 2023 season. Our board both totally accepts and respects the reasons for his decision.

In essence, Ben and his lovely wife Lisa are expecting their first child in March and will return to live in their native Brisbane to raise their family. We congratulate them both on this great news and wish them all the very best in doing so.

Ben has been an outstanding First Grade Head Coach for us over the past 3 seasons, despite all the trials and tribulations of COVID-19 interruptions and prior to that was our Club Coach in 2019. Our First-Grade team has made the semi-finals in both years of his tenure and this year finished 3^rd on the competition table - our best result in over a decade.

So, Ben’s contribution to our club has been immense and he leaves a really solid platform for our top squad program to grow from. Randwick Rugby will now look to recruit an experienced First Grade Coach on a Full-time basis and we are sure this opportunity to coach at our famous club will attract the best coaching talent available in the market.

We also take this opportunity to thank Ben’s employer and club sponsor Glenn Rohrig from Rohrig Constructions for his flexibility in allowing Ben to devote the time he did to coaching the team.

We also say farewell to club legend Matt Bowman as our First Grade Forwards Coach after years of service at our club Matt has elected to reclaim his Saturdays’ and spend more time with his lovely wife Claudia and his kids Sonny (the 4^th selector), Clementine and Scout. Plus, he also has to devote more time to their burgeoning landscaping business.

In paying tribute to both men’s contribution to Randwick Rugby, Club Coach Morgan Turinui said. “When I came back as Club Coach in 2020, it was very quickly apparent that the club had 2 outstanding coaches and more importantly, human beings, that would allow some continuity within the coaching group.

Having a former teammate and 1^st Grade premiership winning player in ‘Bowie’, allowed direct connection to the club’s history in the way he always showed his raw passion for the club. On the other hand, working with Benny, we found a fantastic Head Coach with a smart rugby IQ, a great work ethic and a man who was able to develop and get the best out of our team.

Whatever, our First Grade team achieves in coming years, these guys will have played a pivotal role in it. They will always be part of the Randwick family and we sincerely thank them for their service to us.” Morgan added.

The recruitment process to replace them is underway as a priority and we will announce their replacements in coming weeks.

Again, we thank both Ben and Matt for their outstanding contributions to Randwick Rugby and wish them and their families all the very best in the future.

Up the Wicks!

ENDS

For all media requests please contact:

Mark Harrison
General Manager
Randwick District Rugby Union Football Club
Via email: office@randwickrugby.com.au