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Press Releases
Press Releases

We appreciate the tremendous coverage the media provide in support of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW and agriculture.

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Glen Innes student wins $10,000 scholarship to help share the voices of regional Australia.

24 Jan 2022

The future of journalism is looking bright today as the RAS Foundation (RASF) announces northern NSW student Kate Newsome as the recipient of the 2022 JB Fairfax Award for Rural & Regional Journalism and Communications. Established through a private donation from Mr John B Fairfax AO in 2008 to identify and assist up-and-coming rural journalists, the award is presented to a journalism or communications student who has demonstrated a passion for reporting on issues affecting rural and regional communities and wishes to become a voice for regional Australia. Read more

Aged Semillon shines at 2021 KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show

16 Dec 2021

The best drops of 2021 are here, and just in time for Christmas, with Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) announcing the results of its prestigious KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show at the WCA Sydney Royal Wine Show Trophy Winners Lunch today. One of Australia’s largest and longest-running wine shows, the KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show, celebrates excellence in agriculture with some of Australia’s most experienced wine experts assessing more than 1,700 wines over four days of judging.   Taking centre stage was Tyrrell's 2013 Vat 1 Semillon, which took home four Sydney Royal trophies including the KPMG Perpetual Trophy for Best Wine of Show ,   making it the first Semillon in eight years to claim the coveted prize. Chardonnay was also a standout this year with Orlando's 2018 Lyndale Chardonnay taking home The A P John Coopers Perennial Trophy for Best Chardonnay and 14 th Annual President's Medal finalist Shottesbrooke Vineyard winning The Len Evans Memorial Perpetual Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Wine for its Shottesbrooke 2020 Single Vineyard Series' Adelaide Hills' Chardonnay. "The results are very reflective of the vintage conditions of the last few years. The cooler 2021 vintage have given us very flavoursome and varietally defined whites like Riesling and Semillon. Chardonnay continues to be a star, with a high medal strike rate amongst the more mature Semillon and Riesling classes," said Sydney Royal Chair of Judges P-J Charteris. "As with any great wine, there must be distinction, purity, and true expression, all bundled up with absolute balance and harmony. Tyrrell's 2013 Vat 1 Semillon, while mature at nearly nine years old, is just hitting its straps; this is a wine to buy and enjoy easily over the next five years, if not longer." In red varietals, small Victorian producer Sutton Grange Estate's 2018 Syrah impressed the judges taking home The Dr Gilbert Phillips Memorial Perpetual Trophy for Best Red and the trophies for Best Small Producer Wine and Best Shiraz. "On the red side of the ledger, Shiraz performed very strongly, reflecting the hotter and drier conditions of 2017, 2018 and 2019. The surprise pack, although it shouldn't be given the heritage of these varieties, was Grenache, Grenache blends and some of the Iberian varieties like Tempranillo and Touriga, delivering freshness, vitality and excellent varietal definition." Making up 14 per cent of the overall entries, small producers also made their mark this year taking home three out of the twenty-seven trophies and delivering quality over quantity, with more than fifty per cent of small producers entered taking home a medal. A small producer is a vineyard whose annual grape crush does not exceed 100 tonnes in the vintage from which the wine was made. "These results are a reflection of the KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show system and the importance of creating an environment where small producers feel like they are on a level playing field with the larger wine companies. In addition, our judging teams and entry criteria have ensured that anyone entering high-quality wine is in with a shot at gold and a trophy," P-J Charteris said. Coldstream Hills 2015 Blanc de Blanc led the way for Australian Sparklings, taking home The Thorp Annual Trophy for Best Sparking White or Rose while De Bortoli Wines 2019 Woodfired Sparkling Shiraz won The InterContact Perpetual Trophy for Best Sparkling Red. "The top-end sparkling exhibits were strong, which has been the case for a number of years now, but one of the often-overlooked highlights are the Fortified Muscat and Topaque wines, these are national treasures without peer in the world of wine, we need to celebrate these wines and the effort that goings into making them more often. There was also a cracking brandy." St Anges Distillery won The JJ McWilliam Memorial Perpetual Trophy for Best Brandy for its St Agnes XO while Morris Wines won The J C M Fornachon Memorial Perpetual Trophy for Best Fortified for its Morris Wines Old Premium Muscat.   Full results (including Trophys, Gold, Silver & Bronze medals) are available  here .   Nicola Dalby Manager – Communications and Public Relations Read more

From organic miso to gluten-free eclairs - the 2021 Sydney Royal champions changing the game.

29 Nov 2021

The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) has announced the results of its 2021 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show today, with the competition results indicating growth in the specialty food market, a cracker year for beef, and a changing of the guard in professional bakery. Read more

Family-run Botany brewery takes home Best NSW Beer

10 Nov 2021

A small husband and wife run brewery in Botany has taken home both Champion Packaged Beer and Best NSW Beer at the 2021 Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Show for their European inspired Threefold Belgian Tripel after entering the competition for the first time. Slow Lane Brewing, which is known for its traditional brewing methods used to produce slow-fermented beer, impressed the Sydney Royal judges claiming a Gold (and two champions) for its Threefold Belgian Tripel, Silver for its Solitude Belgian Dark Strong Ale and Bronze medal for its Botany Weisse Mixed Fermentation Sour Ale. Read more

Financial scholarships help regional VET students reach full potential

22 Oct 2021

As an initiative to further foster education and support in rural NSW, the RAS Foundation has launched its 2022 VET scholarship program, with funding of up to $6,000 available to students studying Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses. The scholarships are available for NSW and ACT students studying at registered VET institutions, such as TAFE or local colleges, who demonstrate a passion for a career that will support the future success of our rural and regional communities. Read more

RAS prunes back the competition announcing Sydney’s top 10 front gardens

21 Oct 2021

Sydney’s top ten front gardens have been announced today following the stringent first stage of judging in the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW’s (RAS) Sydney Spring Garden Competition. The program, which awards Sydney’s best front garden, is the legacy of the competition’s founder and sponsor, the late Lt. Col. Dr Charles Christian, who wished to beautify the streets of Sydney by celebrating the local gardening community. Read more

Hair-raising rides or a prize-winning Hereford - what’s your best Show memory?

13 Oct 2021

From the excitement of showing in your very first Sydney Royal competition to exploring the marvels of the sideshow alley, everyone has a unique memory of the Sydney Royal Easter Show, and the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) wants to hear yours.   In celebration of the RAS’ bicentennial in 2022, the organisation is encouraging Showgoers to reminisce and share their cherished moments of the iconic event via its new Show stories platform . General Manager, Sydney Royal Easter Show and Agriculture, Murray Wilton says the RAS created the platform to allow the community to share their side of the story. “We wanted to create a way for our community to share their memories of the Sydney Royal Easter Show and become a part of the RAS’ written history,” Murray Wilton said. “An organisation doesn’t reach a bicentenary without the support of generations of members, staff, council, exhibitors, entertainers, volunteers and showgoers who champion the mission of the RAS. So, as we celebrate 200 years of entertaining, educating, and engaging our community on the importance of sustainable agriculture, we want to honour our supporters’ unique memories and stories. “From winning your first championship ribbon to saving up all your pocket money to purchase your favourite showbag - stories are how we connect as a community, and we can’t wait to share, reminisce, and be inspired by yours.” To share your Show memories, visit the RAS website ( rasnsw.com.au/200years/showstories/) and share your story to become a part of the RAS’ 200-year history. The RAS will celebrate its bicentenary on 5 th July 2022. For more information or to enter, please visit the RAS website .  Media contact: Nicola Dalby Manager – Public Relations and Communications M: 0434 579 906 E: ndalby@rasnsw.com.au   Read more

Oz Comic-Con leads expo rebound as Sydney Showground prepares for a strong end to the year

30 Sep 2021

As New South Wales heads towards a 70 per cent vaccination rate by October 11 , Sydney Showground is preparing to resume operations and deliver events this side of Christmas following the release of the NSW Government’s ‘roadmap to recovery’. With marks already on the board, the venue will again lead the charge bringing Expertise Events, Oz Comic-Con Homegrown to Sydney from December 4 - 5 after proving its ability to deliver outstanding events within challenging environments. Gary Fitz-Roy, Managing Director of Expertise Events, said the venue understands organisers’ unique needs in this new environment. “Sydney Showground get it; they focus on relationships and work with you to help bring your vision to life in this new world, they know the compliance aspects and work with sensible solutions to make sure everyone has a good experience. I love their can-do attitude,” Mr Fitz-Roy said. Other events due to take place prior to Christmas include the Health, Wellness and Fitness Expo 2021, Sydney’s Annual Wedding Expo 2021, Disability Expo 2021 and the venue will welcome back Sydney Thunder and the Big Bash League to Sydney Showground Stadium. Paving the way for large-scale events back in April, the venue has demonstrated its capacity to run events within a COVID safe environment by delivering the largest ticketed event to take place in the world at the time, the Sydney Royal Easter Show and Australia’s largest consumer event, the Oz Comic-Con Pop-Up in March. Darryl Jeffrey, Sydney Showground General Manager, says the venue has the unique ability to support organisers as they navigate the months ahead. “We’ve seen an increase of enquiries since the NSW Government roadmap to recovery was announced, and I believe we will continue to see a number of shows, concerts and special events revealed in the coming weeks. The demand for events is there, we’ve been given the green light, and now it’s up to us to work with our clients and bring safe events back to Sydney,” Mr Jeffrey said “What is unique about Sydney Showground is the flexibility to accommodate changing regulations thanks to adaptable indoor and outdoor spaces, not to mention its proximity to public transports and ample amount of parking. Having run one of the world largest LIVE events and largest consumer events so far, I think we’ve proven that we can deliver safe events and provide the unique flexibility clients need in this current environment. “At present, the first half of 2022 is almost completely booked up, so the future looks bright.”  To learn more about Sydney Showground, please visit the website . Media Contact: Nicola Dalby M: 0434 579 906 E: ndalby@rasnsw.com.au Read more
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