MAKE EASTLEIGH RUGBY GREAT AGAIN

A little bit about us.

Eastleigh RFC are a community-based rugby club providing sport, education,friendship and family values to the people of Eastleigh and the surroundingareas.The Club in its current format, playing in the now traditional black, amberand red, is now entering our 90th season but rugby has been played inEastleigh since 1885.

We run 3 x Adult XVs and achieved the second highest finish of any Hampshire
club last season. We have laid out a ambitious target for the next 3 years
and want to aim for the top of the regional League structure. The Junior
section has over 500 boys and girls playing rugby every week and this
continues to grow. We are also the home to the Hurricanes Special Needs team
which is the first of it's kind in the South of England. We have also
recently encouraged 'older' members to take part in regular 'Walking Rugby'
events as seen below.

We have hundreds of members who rely on the club for their health and fitness ,mental well-being and social interactions. We know how tough it’s been in recent months and how much we all can’t wait to get back to normality.

Now we need you !

Following the closure of the Club in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic we
now need your help and the support of the local community.

We raise all of our income through Bar and Kitchen sales, Hall hire and
Membership fees. When the Club was closed due to the COVID lockdown we have
been unable to earn any income and we’ve lost 9 months of sales, including
the loss of our biggest earning events. This includes, on average, weekly
Wedding and Engagement receptions through the Summer, Club events such as
Ladies day , the Annual Dinners for both Senior and Junior Sections, The
Volunteers Ball, The VPs Christmas Lunch and numerous other Christmas
parties when the hall is hired.

Understandably this has really affected our ability to function and achieve
our targets for rugby and community activities. As a result, we need help
from all of our friends and supporters to allow us to become 'rugby ready'
for the return of playing team sports .

This will include making our pitches safe and suitable for rugby. Due to
the last two summers being very dry and winters being very wet our pitches
have suffered and this is an area that needs urgent attention. We will
invest heavily to make sure our men’s and junior teams will be able to
resume playing for a new season.

We also need to ensure that our Club remains a safe and secure environment
as we emerge from COVID. We need to create a new entrance to ensure a
one-way flow through the Club and also improve ventilation throughout.

Archie’s 10k walk for Eastleigh 

We have an extra helping hand with  fundraising as little Archie son of long time player James hixon-broad has lept into action to help out his and his fathers club in its hour of need. He’ll be completing his walk on the 12th December and has already had a lot of pledges.

EASTLEIGH IN THE COMMUNITY 

It warms the heart of the club that juniors are trying their best to help with some also organising food bank collections for Eastleigh basic bank, to help those in need this Christmas, so please keep an eye out for more information on our Facebook page. Collections will begin in the next few days and a drop box will be placed downstairs at the hub.

We’re always looking for new ways to help in our community so please contact us if you have any ideas.

Below is a picture of our club on its 130th anniversary where we had local mp mims Davies come down to kick start events. We can’t wait to get back to holding events for our members and the wider community be it party on the pitch’s ,family fun days, Eastleigh bbq’s and more.

Below are the words of Paul Franklin a long standing member

I am 73 years old and have been onanti depressant tablets for the last
twenty years.

The self isolation of Covid 19 has therefore hit me quite hard, as well as
my eldest daughter, with her having to shield due to Crohn's disease.

Two of the things that help me cope with life are my allotment, and being a
VP at Eastleigh RFC.

Thank God I have still been able to visit my allotment during the pandemic.
However I really miss my visits to Eastleigh to catch up on all the rugby
news with my old playing mates from years gone by. I also miss seeing the
younger players making a life for themselves in the social and character
building environment of rugby.

I wasn't blessed with sons, but my eldest daughter was a founding member of
the Eastleigh Women's Rugby Team, and also played for Hampshire, What else
could an old man want?.

we hope you take donating to our cause into consideration.

Eastleigh rugby football club