PHOENIX RUFC 1 About Rotherham Phoenix RUFC Rotherham Phoenix RUFC was formed in 2005 to bring back amateur rugby to Rotherham Rugby Club. Although Rotherham Titans had been hugely successful in the upper echelons of the game, the importance of re-establishing a thriving community rugby section was widely recognised by everyone at the club. Phoenix started out playing in the Yorkshire merit table in the 2005/06 season finishing a creditable second in the league thereby gaining entry into the Yorkshire Leagues. Two seasons in Division Five South East followed with promotion to Division Four coming at the end of the 2007/08 campaign. Promotion to Division Three followed in the 2009/10 season with the club finishing as league champions. A 2 nd XV was introduced in the 2008/09 season and this has prospered with the team playing in the Yorkshire Merit Table. Junior rugby at the club has developed in parallel with the growth of the senior section. From a handful of players at the first training session in 2005, the junior section has grown to encompass five mini-midi teams (under 12 years of age) and three junior teams (over 12 years of age). Colts rugby (U17 to U19) was reintroduced in the 2011/12 season providing a vital link between junior and senior rugby. Finally a veterans team (over 35 s) is to be introduced for the 2013/14 season for those old enough to know better! Rotherham Rugby Club Ltd, a not for profit company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital was established in 2007 to provide a legal framework for the amateur rugby activities at the club including Rotherham Phoenix RUFC and the Vice-Presidents Association. 2 Background Since its formation in 2005 the club has faced a continual struggle for facilities, and this has only intensified with the steady growth in the number of teams and players. Although the club is fortunate to be allowed to share the clubhouse facilities at Clifton Lane with Rotherham Titans, the shortage of suitable rugby pitches for training and matches in the vicinity of the clubhouse is a major problem. The club has limited use of the pitch at Clifton Lane when it is not required by the Titans and subject to pitch condition. Additionally there are two council owned rugby pitches on the nearby Herringthorpe Playing Fields however these are of poor quality being badly drained and suffering from problems of dog fouling and litter broken glass being a particular problem. These pitches are also used by another local rugby club meaning that availability is limited. As a result junior rugby training and matches on Sundays takes place at a number of locations around Rotherham including Wickersley School which is some four miles from the clubhouse. Midweek training is equally problematic. As an amateur rugby club midweek evening training is essential as the majority of players are working or studying during the day. Floodlit training
PHOENIX RUFC facilities are in short supply throughout the local area and are generally very heavily booked. Furthermore, the high cost of hiring facilities is a major burden on the clubs finances. As a result of the above, in 2011 the club entered into negotiations with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council for the lease of an area of Herringthorpe Playing Fields. The area amounting to some 7 acres would provide the club with its own facilities less than 200m from the clubhouse at Clifton Lane. The club has been supported throughout this process by the Rugby Football Union which is also to provide some of the funding required. After an extensive public consultation process, the council cabinet of RMBC approved the lease in May 2013 and it is anticipated that the lease will be signed by September 2013. 3 Project Description The proposed facilities are to be developed on area of Herringthorpe Playing Fields in Rotherham as indicated by the shaded area on the attached plan. The area amounts to some 7.15 acres and is currently occupied by one rugby and two football pitches. The area is poorly drained and the pitches are of poor quality, being uneven and prone to flooding in the winter months. As part of the lease terms and conditions the club has agreed to pay reasonable costs to the council for the relocation of the existing pitches to another part of the playing fields there would be no reduction in the number of council owned pitches available to other users. Rotherham Phoenix RUFC plan to install a 2m high weld-mesh perimeter fence around the leased area. This is to secure the area and provide protection against littering and dog fouling and is a condition of RFU funding. Within the fenced area the club will carry out improvements to the drainage and quality of the playing surface. Three floodlit rugby pitches will be provided two illuminated to 100 Lux for training purposes and one illuminated to 200 Lux for matches. Planning permission for the floodlights was obtained in October 2012. As a condition of the lease the club will enter into a Service Level Agreement with the Sports Development Team at RMBC. Amongst other things, the SLA will require the club to make the facilities available to other groups and for use by the council s Sports Development Team. 4 Costs The development of facilities represents a major capital investment by the club amounting to approximately 275,000. A broad breakdown of capital costs is given below; Item Budget Cost Perimeter Fencing (700m of weldmesh fence with gates) 30,000 Floodlighting (2 pitches @ 100 lux, 1 pitch @ 200 lux) 120,000 Connection to Electrical Supply (Northern Powergrid) 30,000 Ground Improvements & Drainage 75,000 Ground Equipment (rugby posts, corner flags etc.) 10,000 Miscellaneous Costs (legal costs, relocation of existing pitches etc.) 10,000 Budget Total 275,000
PHOENIX RUFC It is anticipated that the running costs of the facilities after completion will be largely met by the revenue from hiring out the pitches to other groups. The burden on club finances will be further reduced by the savings the club makes from no longer having to hire facilities for its own use (currently the club spends in the excess of 5000 pa on the hire of pitches and training facilities). 5 Funding The following is a summary of anticipated funding sources for the project Funding Source Amount RFU Lead-Up & Legacy Grant 100,000 RFF Interest Free Loan (10 years) 100,000 Sport England Protecting Playing Fields Grant 50,000 5.1 RFU Lead Up & Legacy Grant The club has worked closely with the Rugby Football Union throughout the course of the project and the provision of RFU grant funding is an essential part of the funding. The RFU has indicated that the club will be awarded a grant of 100,000 subsequent to the signing of the lease. 5.2 Rugby Football Foundation Loan The club has applied for an interest free loan of 100,000 from the Rugby Football Foundation. This loan is repayable over a period of 10 years. In order to secure the loan the club needs to identify guarantors who are prepared to accept joint liability for the loaned amount this process has commenced but the full value of guarantees required has not yet been received. 5.3 Sport England Protecting Playing Fields Grant The club intends to submit an application to Sport England under their Protecting Playing Fields scheme. This scheme pays a maximum of 50,000 towards the costs of improvements to playing surfaces and drainage. The grant application has been prepared but can t be submitted until the club has security of tenure (i.e. the lease has been signed). 5.4 Other Sources of Funding The club has recently launched the Herringthorpe Facilities Fund, a major fund raising initiative with the target of raising 100,000 over the next 10 years. This is aimed at paying off the RFF Loan with any surplus used for the upkeep and maintenance of the facilities. In addition to seeking financial sponsorship the club will be actively seeking sponsorship in kind as a means of reducing the cost of the project. As a condition of the RFU loan, the floodlighting must be supplied and installed by the RFU nominated contractor. However this restriction does not apply other areas of work such as the fencing and ground improvements/drainage where it would be possible for a contractor to provide sponsorship in kind.
PHOENIX RUFC 6 Further Information For further information about this project please contact: Bob Finch Secretary Rotherham Rugby Club Ltd Email: bobfinch@rotherhamphoenix.co.uk Tel: 0114 2257663 Mobile: 07950 145424
PHOENIX RUFC Figure 1 - Location of Proposed Rotherham Phoenix RUFC Facilities on Herringthorpe Playing Fields