As we start the 100th year of Rams Rugby and more than 30 years of Courtiers sponsorship, we unravel what underpins the strength between the two and what they both care about: community, competition and ethics.
Rams started this year off on 13th January with a 28-7 bonus-point victory against Manchester-based Sedgley Park, securing 2nd position in National League 1. With many sports fans working at Courtiers – as well as Adviser, Connor Stapley also playing for the Rams – employees were there to cheer the team on, showing the sponsorship doesn’t end on the pitch; we are part of the community too.
With a strong understanding of how sports supports community, helping people – especially children and young adults – achieve and develop what they want in life, Courtiers CIO Gary Reynolds is keen to give back;
“With sport giving both me and Jamie Shepperd (Courtiers CEO) so much, we want to ensure that everyone has a chance to engage and develop on the pitch, regardless of background. With the gap between State and Private education never being bigger – and this divide keenly felt on the rugby and cricket sportsgrounds – we got involved in sponsoring the Rams for their Youth section in 1988.
“We want to level up every player so that they have every chance and opportunity that may not be afforded to them, and with that, raise up their communities, families and affiliations.”
This ethos is something Courtiers and Rams have in common, as Gary explains:
“You wouldn’t think that a wealth management company and a sports club would be similar, but both are driven by competitiveness, actively recruit high ethics and want to ensure everyone in the teams develops and attunes their specific skillsets.
“Courtiers is a family company that really focuses on its clients and we (Jamie and I) feel we owe our clients continuity and safety. Some of them have offered us over 35 years of friendship, which can’t be conjured up or replaced easily; we understand that. We want to give back to our clients, just like we feel that by sponsoring the Rams we are giving back on all sport has done for us.”
Asked about the Rams win on Saturday, Gary said: “The players did a good job shutting down Sedgley Park, who were 4th in the league. Plus, the game had one of the best tries of the season – Mike Hoyt scoring down on the right-hand side was absolutely sublime. It’s wonderful to see such execution in sport, and Mike’s a delightful character.”
Additional to the Rams 1st XV game on Saturday, the Colt A Junior Rams team took home victory – scoring a strong 13-5 home win against the Old Patesians, which sees them into the National Cup Quarter-Finals.
For a full write up of the games, you can read the RAMS 1st XV match report and the Colt A report.
Photo credits: Paul Clark
