Northern Raiders
Encyclopedia
The New York Raiders are an American
semi-professional
rugby league football team based in Congers, New York
. The team currently plays in the American National Rugby League
(AMNRL) competition. They play their home games at Rockland Lake State Park
, and are a team partner of the Canberra Raiders
of Australia's National Rugby League
(NRL).
The team originated as the Wilmington Vikings of Wilmington, Delaware
, who joined the AMNRL as the league's first expansion team
in 2002. Since that time the club has undergone a series of moves and name changes; they relocated to New Jersey
in 2003, becoming the New Jersey Vikings, then moved again after the season to upstate New York
, taking the name Northern Raiders. In 2010 they adopted their current name. They have yet to enter into the league playoffs or win a championship.
in 2002 as the Wilmington Vikings, based in Wilmington, Delaware
. The AMNRL's first real expansion team
, they brought the number of member franchises up to six. Like the other AMNRL teams, they started a team partnership with a club in Australia
's National Rugby League
(NRL), in this case the Canberra Raiders
. They played in Wilmington for one season before relocating to Gloucester County, New Jersey
in December 2002, changing their name to the New Jersey Vikings. They hoped the move would help them draw talent from Gloucester County College
to overcome the recruitment problems they had faced in Delaware. Physician Merrick Wetzler took over as owner.
The move did not end the team's recruitment troubles, and following the 2003 season they relocated once more to upstate New York
. In keeping with their partnership with the Canberra Raiders, they changed their name to the Northern Raiders. For the 2006 season they attempted to turn their losing record around, taking on Australian player-coach
Ben Kelly; however, they just failed to qualify for the AMNRL playoff series. For a period they were based in Wallkill
in Ulster County, New York
, and play their home games at the Wallkill Airport Rugby Fields. In 2011 they relocated to Congers, New York
and play in Rockland Lake State Park
. To date they have not entered into the league playoffs or competed for a league championship.
season the club adopted the colors of white, green and black but the uniforms they wear are predominately white they have kept this uniform till this day. They are also part of an affiliate partnership with Australian NRL club the Canberra Raiders
.
In 2010, the club, along with other AMNRL teams, adopted a new badge, replacing the one that had been modeled after that of the Canberra Raiders.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
rugby league football team based in Congers, New York
Congers, New York
Congers is a hamlet , in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Valley Cottage; east of New City, across Lake DeForest, south of Haverstraw and west of the Hudson River. It lies 19 miles north of New York City's Bronx boundary...
. The team currently plays in the American National Rugby League
American National Rugby League
The American National Rugby League is a rugby league football competition for semi-professional clubs in the United States. It is the country's first domestic rugby league competition...
(AMNRL) competition. They play their home games at Rockland Lake State Park
Rockland Lake State Park
Rockland Lake State Park is located on a ridge of Hook Mountain above the west bank of the Hudson River, in the hamlet of Congers, which is in the eastern part of the Town of Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York. The park sits between the west bank of the Hudson River and Route 9W...
, and are a team partner of the Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
of Australia's National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
(NRL).
The team originated as the Wilmington Vikings of Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, who joined the AMNRL as the league's first expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
in 2002. Since that time the club has undergone a series of moves and name changes; they relocated to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in 2003, becoming the New Jersey Vikings, then moved again after the season to upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
, taking the name Northern Raiders. In 2010 they adopted their current name. They have yet to enter into the league playoffs or win a championship.
History
The team joined the American National Rugby LeagueAmerican National Rugby League
The American National Rugby League is a rugby league football competition for semi-professional clubs in the United States. It is the country's first domestic rugby league competition...
in 2002 as the Wilmington Vikings, based in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. The AMNRL's first real expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
, they brought the number of member franchises up to six. Like the other AMNRL teams, they started a team partnership with a club in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
(NRL), in this case the Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
. They played in Wilmington for one season before relocating to Gloucester County, New Jersey
Gloucester County, New Jersey
Gloucester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 288,288. Its county seat is Woodbury....
in December 2002, changing their name to the New Jersey Vikings. They hoped the move would help them draw talent from Gloucester County College
Gloucester County College
Gloucester County College is an accredited, co-educational, two-year, public , community college located in Sewell, Gloucester County, New Jersey, USA. It was established in 1966 and has of grounds...
to overcome the recruitment problems they had faced in Delaware. Physician Merrick Wetzler took over as owner.
The move did not end the team's recruitment troubles, and following the 2003 season they relocated once more to upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
. In keeping with their partnership with the Canberra Raiders, they changed their name to the Northern Raiders. For the 2006 season they attempted to turn their losing record around, taking on Australian player-coach
Player-coach
A player-coach, in sports, is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. The term can be used to refer to both players who serve as head coaches, or as assistant coaches....
Ben Kelly; however, they just failed to qualify for the AMNRL playoff series. For a period they were based in Wallkill
Wallkill, Ulster County, New York
Wallkill is a hamlet , generally identified as coterminous with ZIP code 12589, telephone exchange 895 in the 845 area code and most of the Wallkill Central School District located mostly in the eastern half of the Town of Shawangunk, Ulster County, New York but partly spilling over into adjacent...
in Ulster County, New York
Ulster County, New York
Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
, and play their home games at the Wallkill Airport Rugby Fields. In 2011 they relocated to Congers, New York
Congers, New York
Congers is a hamlet , in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Valley Cottage; east of New City, across Lake DeForest, south of Haverstraw and west of the Hudson River. It lies 19 miles north of New York City's Bronx boundary...
and play in Rockland Lake State Park
Rockland Lake State Park
Rockland Lake State Park is located on a ridge of Hook Mountain above the west bank of the Hudson River, in the hamlet of Congers, which is in the eastern part of the Town of Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York. The park sits between the west bank of the Hudson River and Route 9W...
. To date they have not entered into the league playoffs or competed for a league championship.
Uniform and colors
For their inaugural American National Rugby LeagueAmerican National Rugby League
The American National Rugby League is a rugby league football competition for semi-professional clubs in the United States. It is the country's first domestic rugby league competition...
season the club adopted the colors of white, green and black but the uniforms they wear are predominately white they have kept this uniform till this day. They are also part of an affiliate partnership with Australian NRL club the Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
.
In 2010, the club, along with other AMNRL teams, adopted a new badge, replacing the one that had been modeled after that of the Canberra Raiders.
Current roster
- Dan Fullarton
- Matt Vautin
- Isiah Dean
- Leslie Alovili
- Everton Henriques
- John Chewens
- Justin Bard
- Adam Shaw
- Tim Lawrence
- CJ Gelardo
- Matt Reilly
- Robert Ploth
- Nick Kostishack
- Bryce Johnstone
- Justin Coffman
- Dan Sansone
- Matt Konecni
- Michael DaCosta
- Mike Fasano
- Ryan Kramer
- Leigh Coe
- Paulo Reis
- Rob Stablier
- Cody Kreigsman
- Chris Taglia
- Joel Venables
- Brett Horn
- Tristan Gralton
- Tony Kalamas
- Kevin Lynch
- Dave Katz
- Andrew Fellouris
- Jeff Kaiser
- Derek Ramsell
- Justin Cuff
- Justin Vos
- Phil Giuliano
- Mike Oconner
- Peter Mitchel
- Terrance Phillips
- Matt Bender
- John Franciosa
- Simon Palanski
- Ian Dean
- Chris Groele
Official sponsors
As announced in 2008 the main shirt sponsor for the then Northern Raiders RLFC became online accommodation specialists Wotif.comWotif.com
Wotif.com is a website that provides a reservation service for hotels in Australia, as well as some international hotels. It was created in March 2000 by Graeme Wood, and is based in Brisbane, Australia. It has since established offices in Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United...
.
External links
Official websites- New York RaidersOfficial Site
- RaidersOnTheRoad.comOfficial Supporters Travel Site
- New York Northern Raiders @ AMNRL.com