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National | Auckland

Rodney Rams work to restore club - Feature

Hailing from Northland they are the most Northern club currently competing in the Auckland wide Rugby League Competition.  A week has passed since the Rodney Rams Rugby League club was gutted by fire.

According to Eddie Watts, “Some real sadness happening and I think it’s gonna take a long time for the healing process to finish with this especially with the older people.”

It's never an easy task to fill teams from a small catchment area, but this year the club has fielded a rugby league team and a netball team.

It's a place that attracts visitors from around the world with Matakana being the closest township to Whangateau. These days it's only an hour drive North from the heart of Auckland with the Prime Minister John Key himself one of the hundreds known to own a holiday home across the bay at Ōmaha.

A week ago members didn't even know whether the club would continue to operate. Now after some grieving the whole community is focussed on putting its support behind the building of a new clubhouse.

A local cafe restaurant has offered to hold a fundraising evening for the Rodney Rams with a $20 door charge for entry.

Tisyn Watts of Rodney Rams says, “Barbecue there of course for all the kiddies and stuff whoever wants some munchies.”

Nearly $6,000 was fundraised on Friday night to support the cause, which means the Rodney Rams are now that little bit closer to their ultimate goal of raising a new club from the ashes.

Eddie Watts says, “Yeah it will rise alright in what shape or form, we don't know yet. But it will rise, and go the rams, go the rams.”