groundcare &
emergency funding
FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG
groundcare
funding
&
y funding
emergenc
RFU & Grass Roots Rugby Pitches
England 2015 provides rugby union with a
once in a generation opportunity to deliver
the greatest participation legacy for the
game in this country. For the last two years
the RFU has focused on building capacity
and inspiring participation through
seven key strands. One of these, Better
Facilities, aims to ensure England’s clubs
are ready for the Rugby World Cup and
has prioritised investment of £10m into
500 clubs nationwide for projects ranging
from clubhouses and floodlights through
to a club’s most valuable asset – its pitch.
To date the RFU has invested £8.3m into
nearly 400 club projects valued at £29m
making a pledge with those clubs to be
Fit for 15 and work towards achieving the
following outcomes;
• Growth of players (retention,
returning and new) within rugby club
communities in the 14-24 age group
• Improved quality of experience for
all users of rugby clubs
• Improved financial sustainability for
rugby clubs based upon a wider range
of business and social users
Pitch improvement is at the heart of the
RFU’s plans as it seeks to improve the
capacity of club pitches by up to two
matches a week. It focuses upon the
pitch maintenance that clubs undertake,
provides support for the volunteer
groundsmen who maintain the nation’s
pitches and, in the most needy cases,
provides funding for drainage and pitch
construction for clubs whose pitches
are unable to cope with the playing and
training demands placed upon them.
10 Issue 52