RFU Invests Another £10m In Clubs

The Rugby Football Union has announced a new £10 million investment to help clubs improve the quality of their clubhouses and pitches in the coming four years.

The money, which is part of the National Facilities Strategy for 2013-17, is intended to get clubs 'Fit for 15' and should help as many as 500 clubs across the country by the time the World Cup kicks off on 18 September 2015.

RFU chairman Bill Beaumont says the governing body is committed to ensuring that clubs "maximise the opportunity that the Rugby World Cup 2015 presents to grow the game" and that the funding will contribute towards achieving that goal.

"We want rugby clubs to remain an integral part of their local communities and improving their facilities and pitches is one way of achieving that aim," he said.

"We have committed significant funds over the next four years but we appreciate that for some clubs it is the smaller projects, such as new goalposts, pitch maintenance equipment and facilities that can be used by the local community, which can make a significant difference."

A £600,000 fund has also been set up to improve goalpost safety, pitch maintenance and Social Spaces as part of the better facilities small grants programme and Ross Baxter thinks all of the funding will raise the standard of pitches in the UK.

"This new grant reflects the RFU's commitment to supporting club groundsmen throughout the country in their quest to provide the perfect pitch" said the RFU's national facilities manager.

"The ability to access funding to enable clubs to upgrade their pitch maintenance equipment will help them to carry out their work smarter, faster and in a more cost effective way. This will be invaluable as we move forward towards 2015 and beyond."

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