UNSW and Randwick Rugby celebrate successful partnership

It was an evening of celebration at the Roundhouse, where Randwick Rugby's UNSW students came together to toast to a successful season on and off the field. 

While the partnership between UNSW and Randwick has only recently been formalised, there has been a long connection between the two Eastern Suburbs institutions. Randwick Rugby committee member and UNSW Sports Advisory Council member Simon Poidevin spoke at the event about his time at UNSW, living at Barker College and playing for the UNSW Rugby Club, before moving to Randwick later in his career.

Poidevin's son Christian is following in his father's footsteps, playing for Randwick while studying a Bachelor of Engineering at UNSW. His other son Jean-Luc is also studying Engineering, but has found his feet in the pool, representing UNSW-Wests Magpies in the Australian Water Polo League.

The partnership with Randwick aims to ensure that the players have access to the best programs, pathways and off-field opportunities available. This allows Randwick to attract and retain the best talent in the competition and provides key recruitment opportunities to UNSW to gain some of the best and brightest students who are well-rounded in their sporting and academic lives.

As an acknowledgement of the partnership between the two institutions, UNSW's Director of Student Life and Communities Neil Morris presented scarves to each of the new student-athletes from 2019, welcoming them to the joint UNSW and Randwick community.

It was a great finish to a fantastic season for the club, where both Colts teams made the grand finals of their respective divisions and the First Grade side played an historic match against Argentina's Los Pumas in preparation for their Rugby World Cup campaign. The evening was tinged with sadness as the players and support staff toasted Randwick club legend Jeff Sayle, who died last month.