Ryerson Rams

Ryerson Rams
Logo
University	Ryerson University
Association	Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Conference	Ontario University Athletics
Athletic director	Ivan Joseph
Location	Toronto, Ontario
Varsity teams	13
Arena	Mattamy Athletic Centre at the Gardens
Mascot	Eggy the Ram
Nickname	Rams
Colours	gold       blue
Website	www.ryersonrams.ca

The Ryerson Rams are the athletic teams that represent Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Teams

Rams' Troy Passingham during 2013-14 season.

Ryerson University operates 13 men's and women's interuniversity sports teams that compete nationally through Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). The Rams compete in men's and women's: hockey, volleyball, basketball, soccer. They have co-ed badminton, fencing, golf and rowing. In addition there is a women's figure skating team. The team mascot is Eggy the Ram and can be seen at most major events.

The Ryerson Rams are highly regarded for their men's basketball team. They are led by head coach Roy Rana with the assistance of eight more staff members. Their 2012-2013 roster currently includes 17 players, of which 7 are first year students at the university. In 2013, the Ryerson Ram Mattamy Athletic Centre hosted the Wilson Cup where Carleton Raven's took home the victory to Ottawa. The Ryerson Rams' site provides current statistics, members, schedules, photos and the history behind each team.

Ryerson used to have a football team which was coached, for much of its existence, by former Toronto Argonaut Ted Toogood, who also served as Ryerson's first Athletic Director from 1949 to 1961. In 1958, the Rams won the Intermediate Intercollegiate Ontario-Quebec Conference championship. The football program was ended following the 1964 season due to costs, the lack of proper facilities, and poor attendance.

Athletic Scholarships

Ryerson University offers financial aid to its students participating in sports. If they meet certain criteria, they may be awarded from $500 to $3500. There are two separate categories for scholarships: Entering Athletic Scholarship and Non-entering Athletic Scholarship. Both awards require students to maintain a specific GPA and be an active participant in a CIS or OUA team.

Recreation

Rams' player during 2013-14 season.

Aside from the intensive teams, Ryerson Rams has a recreation component that allows average students to get fit and have fun. They offer gym memberships and personal training. They have a variety of intramural teams such as: dodgeball, ice hockey, squash, softball, soccer, volleyball and basketball. They have sports clubs for: badminton, cheerleading, cricket, capoeira, dragon boat, equestrian, golf, karate, kendo, masters swim, quid ditch, squash ladder, dance pak, taekwondo, triathlon, and water polo. There are programs set up for students to participate in day camps with a variety of activities. People can also apply for lessons to become CPR and First Aid certified.

Facilities

Elizabeth Wyn Wood's Bas-relief of a Goaltender at Ryerson University in Toronto

Until the end of the 2011-2012 season, the Rams' basketball and volleyball teams played primarily out of Kerr Hall West Gymnasium, a triple gym located in Kerr Hall West. The men's hockey team also played off campus, using the ice rinks at George Bell Arena in Etobicoke. The men's and women's soccer teams continue to call Allan Lamport Stadium home, a field located near King Street and Dufferin Street in downtown Toronto.

In November 2009, Ryerson University announced that Maple Leaf Gardens would become the new home of the Rams' athletes. The school partnered with the Canadian Government and supermarket company Loblaws to cover funding for the project, which was estimated to cost millions of dollars. Approximately $20 million was contributed by Ryerson students, $20 million given by Federal Government and $15 million from Peter Gilligan. In addition, Loblaws, the grocery retailer, made significant financial contributions. The renovation took place over nearly three years, with the ground level hosting a Loblaws Supermarket, and the Ryerson Ram space which includes: an NHL-sized ice rink, known as Mattamy Home Ice, a 4-lane 200m running track, a fitness centre as well as a multipurpose court for basketball and volleyball called the Coca Cola Court. BBB Architects & Stadium Consultants International has designed the new facility - the Mattamy Athletic Centre at the Gardens - which was completed in time for the 2012-13 OUA season.

File:Ryerson Rams Arena.jpg

Ryerson Rams Ice Hockey Arena

In August 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited the newly constructed centre. He referred to the project as, "a perfect example of how a strategic infrastructure investment can create jobs, can preserve our history and can meet the need for a new facility." The facilities aside the Mattamy expansion are: squash courts, a pool, studios, and a fitness centre. Tickets to major events at the Ryerson Ram facilities can be bought through ticketmaster.

Logos

Lady Rams goalie (2014).

Since Ryerson opened in 1948, the logo for the Rams has changed along with the former technical institute becoming a university. From 1965 until 2010, the Ryerson Rams' logo was an blue outline of a ram's head but in 2011, they updated to a more cartooned version of a ram, in their signature colours of blue and gold.

Sponsors

Lady Rams player (2014).

Official sponsors of the Ryerson Rams are: Adidas, Coca Cola, Boston Pizza, CourtYard Marriott, Atrium, International Automotive Group, RSU, National Bank, Ram in the Rye, Panera Bread, Ryerson University Campus Store, OneCard, Burnbrae Farms, and Chipotle Mexican Grill.

External links

• Ryerson University Athletics