Reigate rugby club dig deep
Having won promotion from Counties 5 as champions and with an unbeaten record, Reigate RFC is now digging deep again, installing drainage over five acres of pitches so that they are playable throughout next winter allowing for 30% more game time.
Having won promotion from Counties 5 as champions and with an unbeaten record, Reigate RFC is now digging deep again, installing drainage over five acres of pitches so that they are playable throughout next winter allowing for 30% more game time.
Solar panels are also going on the clubhouse’s south-facing roof to reduce costs and give power back to the National Grid. And with the mix of male and female members changing, segregated showers are being installed to provide better facilities for all. At the end of a long campaign, Reigate played a match under Game On rules against Merton, lending seven players in each half to the hosts and a well-spirited match enabled 29 players to have a runout as the league campaign drew to a close, Reigate winning 38-14.
Head Coach Matt Sanford said of the league campaign: “The boys have come together as a squad to pull in the same direction. Winning the league is great, but to do it unbeaten is even better. As coaches, we’ve seen their work rate and how it’s paid off. “
They enjoyed The Papa Johns Counties 3 Championship despite losing to last year’s semi-finalists Old Georgians. Said captain Dan Harris: “It was a shame not to progress, but we go again next year, and our scrum really held their own against a much higher side. It gave us the chance to play against people we don’t normally face.”
Busy fundraising by many at the club and grants from among others Your Fund Surrey now sees a summer of renovations underway which will better equip the club to handle increasing numbers and provide facilities for simultaneous use regardless of gender.
As a real community club, Reigate runs regular events like holiday rugby camps and annual fireworks displays. Their volunteers work hard for the club and one, Lucy Hill won Volunteer of the Year for 2023 in the Love Reigate and Banstead Sports Awards as the club picked up Club of the Year.
A tour to Amsterdam for senior players brought a great end to an amazing club season and now everyone is looking forward to 2024-25 and the new opportunities.
