A historic Gloucestershire rugby club has secured planning permission to install a new £1.35m state-of-the-art pitch. The work at Cinderford Rugby Club is being fully funded by construction company KW Bell Group, which is headquartered in the town.
The so-called ‘3G pitch’ is an artificial rugby field built to World Rugby regulation 22 standard, with approved synthetic turf and a shock-absorbing layer.
Peter Bell, chief executive of family-owned KW Bell Group, said the investment would ensure players of all levels – from juniors to professionals – would be able to access to “a world-class playing surface, no matter the weather”.
“I’ve been president of this club for 19 years, travelled to countless games, and seen pitches of every condition—some fantastic, others barely playable,” he said.
“I know just how much a great facility means to a club, to its players, and to the local community. This 3G pitch is about ensuring that Cinderford Rugby Club has the best possible platform to thrive.”
Cinderford RFC was formed in 1886 in the Forest of Dean, a key mining region in West Gloucestershire. By the turn of the 20th century Cinderford was playing top teams from England and South Wales, but after the First World War the club’s fortunes – and that of the local coal mining industry – declined and many players relocated to the north of England.
The club’s resurgence after the Second World War was largely due to Bob and Mary Beavis, according to the club, with Mrs Beavis serving as Honorary Secretary for 50 years.
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