7-24 Clubhouse Extension

At our last AGM, we announced the '7-24' program which marks that we are 7 years from our centenary in 2024. The program has many facets based upon the concept of 'professional amateurism' introduced at the AGM to confirm our commitment to being a totally amateur club when it comes to paying players but investing in being as professional in every other aspect of the game. From coaching to nutrition, from facilities to preparation, from community outreach to attitude. Our vision has always been to be one of the leading family rugby clubs in the country and whilst we have benefited of late from a major investment by the RFU into our facilities, whilst we continue to perform on the pitch at all grades, we need to ensure our clubhouse supports this vision. We have invested recently in upgrading the clubhouse and storage facilities, we need to do more.

I am delighted to announce today that plans will be submitted on Monday for a major development and investment in our clubhouse. This will include extending the back of the clubhouse on two floors providing for two modern changing rooms in line with current RFU guidelines and an extension to the main room upstairs as well as a new meeting room and office. This will allow us to host more matches, both from the club and from the rugby community with additional changing rooms, especially for women’s and girl’s rugby. The additional meeting room will allow non-club bodies to meet in private and it will allow greater space (almost doubling the main room) for hosting supporters and teams. It will also allow us to open the new changing rooms and the meeting room upstairs without the need to open the whole clubhouse when required. As part of this we are extending the balcony both further out and making it longer to accommodate more people wanting to view the match from this great vantage point. We have also applied for a stand to be built on the half way line to accommodate up to 100 spectators.

It is an exciting time for Billingham Rugby Club, but whilst we wait for the planning process, we need to turn to funding. A development of this size is a considerable investment and as a not-for-profit amateur rugby club, we don’t have the funds to complete this project……yet! One thing we have proven over the last 20 years if not 93 years, is that the you, our members and our community will rally round when there is a cause to do so.

Our spirit is our strength and we what we have endured and come through to be where we are today is testimony to this. I believe this next phase will see this club become stronger as we all work together to ensure the future of our club and provide a great ‘family’ facility to provide England and England Women’s rugby with the next generation of players from our children and our children’s children.

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