Drainage for pitch resilience

Aim: Hartlepool Rugby Football Club has launched a fundraising pitch resilience initiative to dramatically improve the playing surfaces.

Who we are – and what we do…

The community based rugby club formed in 1893, is looking for assistance to get through a difficult  period which has seen the localised  flooding on both rugby pitches  which has resulted in multiple games and training session cancelled which has impacted on the rugby club in terms of reduced revenue streams and losing the opportunity for players to participate in a healthy pastime.  

The club based at Mayfield Park which has been their home since 1970, is a hive of activity with 3 senior sides,  1 ladies side, and 15 junior sides together with a social  touch team. We are looking ahead with high hopes of improving the playing surface by installing new drainage and are now trying to raise enough funds to ensure the rugby club continues for generations to come.

Hartlepool Rugby Club supports over 350 local rugby players, including male and female senior teams, male and female junior teams, and mixed junior teams. The club is active every day, offering training and playing opportunities to Hartlepool RFC players, as well as various local primary and secondary schools and colleges. 

As we don't charge for junior  to  play / train at Hartlepool  , which is an  unique offering in  rugby circles,  we have seen  a massive growth in our junior section playing numbers which has impacted on the  playing surfaces. Our pitches are typically used for at least 2-3 hours per day, often much more.

The two rugby pitches and facilities we offer are vital to physical activity in the local area, and with the club’s growth, there is an even greater burden on them to be resilient and consistent.

Over the past three years, our pitches have become increasingly unplayable during late autumn and winter. Even light to moderate rainfall often makes the pitches unusable, and heavy rainfall has resulted in large areas flooding .

 By increasing the number of training sessions and games, we will maximise the positive impact we have on the local community. Rugby offers a way for people to get active and channel life’s frustrations into a productive outlet. Our core tenets are Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline, and Sportsmanship. These aren’t just words to us; they are principles we embody every day. We understand the impact rugby and these values can have on improving the local social and economic environment. Training and match cancellations due to unplayable pitches have a deeply negative impact on the already deprived local community, and we feel we must remedy this to ensure our positive local impact continues.

By delivering this project, we believe we can reduce training and match cancellations by at least 25%. 

Matt Coglan,  RFU Facility Development Manager –  who has worked  closely with the  rugby club to develop the increase in playing numbers commented:- "The need for this project has been backed up by the Club’s proactive involvement in the RFU’s Honda Rugby Grounds Connected programme; and the reporting of the Grounds Management Association (GMA) pitch assessments.

Over recent seasons Hartlepool Rugby Club has developed a proven track record of delivering an increase in rugby union activity; with the establishment of strong age grade teams (mixed, boys’ and girls’ teams); alongside the further strengthening of the three senior men’s and one women’s teams, the club continues to provide opportunities for participation to all.

The rugby club recognises the important role it plays within the local community, having established strong links with a number of community groups and schools wants to continue to expand what it can offer. The club are working with the local secondary schools and RFU development team with a view to continuing to grow the club’s playing numbers and this growth will put further pressure on the club’s current facilities."

The special community club is ran by a fantastic and dedicated group of volunteers, from the management team to the kitchen staff to the coaches who  give hours every week for the love of the game and the club.

And now we need your help...

We understand that these are challenging times and in the current climate, everyone's financial situation is a little uncertain, but we would be very grateful for any donation, large or small, that may help to bridge the gap which will  allow us improve the drainage and ultimately reduce the cancellations and play more rugby games.

The joint initiative provided by Sport England and Crowdfunder will pledge up to 50% match (up to £5235) to our proposed sum (£10,470) if we are successful. This where you, our valued members and supporters can help. 

How you can play your part

There are four simple steps to help us reach our target, and make the project happen:-

1. Please make a pledge and secure a reward. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!

2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the local community to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

3. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters via Rewards. We will give you a shout out!

4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details.