Cheltenham RUGBY CLUB – Newlands Park

McArdle Sport Tec are delighted to build another ‘RFU Rugby 365 programme’ World Rugby Regulation 22 3G pitch.

Cheltenham RFC are benefiting from a new Rugby Football Union (RFU) funded World Rugby Reg 22 artificial grass pitch (AGP), the first of its kind in North Gloucestershire. The pitch is part of the RFU’s Rugby 365 programme, following on from the Rugby World Cup 2015 legacy of delivering over £50m investment over four years into the development of one hundred artificial 3G rugby pitches across England.

The new facilities will enhance the quality of play and increase the pitch availability in comparison to the club’s previous natural grass pitch, which proved to be unreliable, unsafe and waterlogged in the winter months.

Cheltenham Tigers Rugby Club are based at 19 acre site at Newlands Park, which has been owned by the Club since 2007. The rugby club successfully raised £60,914 through a crowdfunding campaign which funded part of this new development.

Working with partners TigerTurf who won this competitive tender, the pitch was completed in July, measuring 8694m2 ,using TigerTurf’s Rugby 360 artificial carpet alongside new floodlighting and fencing.

Rugby 365

“The RFU (Rugby Football Union) is the national governing body for grassroots and elite rugby in England, with 2,000 autonomous rugby clubs in its membership.

All of this is supported by the RFU’s 50 Rugby Development Officers, six Area Managers and 120 Community Rugby Coaches across the country, who provide some 30,000 coaching sessions a year for young people.”

Steve Grainger, RFU Rugby Development Director, commented: “We hope the local community will embrace the new AGP and take advantage of the additional opportunities it provides people to play year-round rugby. Since launching our first sites in January we have seen local clubs, schools and teams from across the local areas all embracing the opportunity to play on the world-class facilities without weather, darkness or lack of pitch access limiting their ability to enjoy this great game”.