• Introduction

    Listen to Leo Cullen (Leinster Director of Rugby), Seán O'Brien (Leinster Contact Skills Coach), David Burke (New Ross RFC Vice President), Dillon Murphy (Dunbrody Warriors Representative), Emma Flood (New Ross RFC Club Captain) and Rory Browne (New Ross RFC Mens Team Captain) talk about club development plans and motivations.

  • Background

    In the years since its founding, New Ross RugbyFootball Club has developed, within the urban community of New Ross Town and the surrounding rural area, to have over 500 playing members.


    When the club started to play at Southknock there was just one men’s team playing rugby. In 1982, Southknock was further developed to include dressing rooms and showers, still mainly to cater for adult men’s rugby.

     

    In the 2023/24 season, the demographics of the playing members in the club are substantially different with:

     

    · Over 55 senior men players.
    · Over 35 senior women players.
    · Over 125 male youth rugby players(U13s to U18.5s).
    · Over 75 female youth rugby players(U14s to U18.5s).
    · Over 200 minis rugby players (U7sto U12s).
    · Over 15 adult disability rugbyplayers (the Dunbrody Warriors).
    · Over 40 rugby nursery players (age4 to 6).

     

    During the playing season, on any given weekend, the club may field up to 13 different adult and youth teams plus up to 20 minis
    rugby teams.
     

    Additionally, there are 9 post-primary schools and upto 36 different primary schools that also use the pitches for matches.
     

    Similarly, the demand for training pitches throughoutthe week is very high with all teams ranging from U10s through to adult looking
    to run 2 training sessions per week.
     

    The impact of climate change on the availability of traditional grass rugby pitches, has to be recognised and addressed. Especially following on from the wettest spring on record and its massive impact on training and playing throughout the 2023/24 season.
     

    We are very fortunate to currently have large numbers of players and coaches; but we are rapidly reaching the point whereby our biggest obstacles are training and playing facilities.

     

    This is continually becoming more evident as our playing base increases, the impact of climate change becomes more severe, and we start to see how other sports organisations offer better training and playing conditions to the players that we are trying to recruit and retain.

  • Options

    The need to develop other training and playingfacilities has been an ongoing issue for many years. Most recently, extensive investigation was carried out to find suitable land on which the club could develop new pitches. However, that option has not proved to be viable. There was very limited availability of land; and any land that was deemed as being suitable, required extensive infrastructure development including cycle ways,
    footpaths, etc. to enable public access to the site. Therefore, such development is not financially feasible.

     
    Considerable effort has also been spent to investigate options relating to long term usage of the Good Counsel College facilities. But this too, has proved to be unviable. It has been impossible to reach any agreement beyond a season-to-season commitment. With all other options exhausted, the preferred and viable option is to further develop the existing Southknock playing facilities.

  • Dressing Rooms and Gym

    The development scope proposed to be undertaken includes extension of the existing dressing room facilities to include 4 new dressing rooms and new shower and toilet facilities. This is needed to address the requirements of women’s and girls’ teams across the club and to further develop female rugby in the New Ross area.

     

    Above the dressing rooms, a new gym will be developed. This will be fully accessible for all players regardless of ability and be available to all members.

    broken image

  • All Weather Pitch

    A 3G all weather pitch will be developed to replace the existing bottom pitch.

    The bottom pitch already has matchgrade flood lighting in place and is the primary match pitch at the club.

    A 3G pitch consisting of long-pile synthetic grasswith a pile height of 40mm to 65mm will be installed. A shock absorbent pad will be included to meet World Rugby Regulation 22 Standard Relating to the Use of Rugby Turf. A number of pitchdevelopment companies have already surveyed and offered prices for this development. In addition we have consulted with other clubs that done similar works (including Tullow RFC).

  • Costs & Funding

    At a high level, the estimated total cost for the project is €1,000,000.

     

    Its planned to fund development through a combination of grant funding (e.g. IRFU Inclusive Facilities Grant, Sports Capital and Equipment Programme, Community Recognition Grant, etc.) and the establishment of a 300 Club fund-raising scheme.Selection of project funding sources and funding mechanisms must be carefully balanced with the need to maintain ongoing funding of club operational expenditure throughout the year.

  • Schedule

    The schedule for development is very much dependent on when grant funding opportunities will arise and our ability to obtain that grant funding, especially with regard to the costs of the pitch development. The timing of both when the grant application windows opens and the duration of the grant process will be the main influence on schedule.

    Ideally, we would target the dressing room extension to be done during the summer of 2025. 

  • Your Club - Your Future

    We have a duty to our members and the community to provide them with the best rugby experience that we can offer. We have very strong playing numbers at present; this project will deliver the facilities to enable even more players to participate in the sport. Similarly, we are fortunate to have great coaching volunteers at all levels; again, these facilities will enable even better on field performance for all teams.
     

    These developments will bring our facilities up to and beyond the standard that other local sports clubs and regional rugby clubs currently offer.
     

    There is no doubt that this project is an ambitious undertaking for the club. However, there is also strong belief that the club, its officials, its players, its members and the wider community are fully committed to the success of this project.

    But we need everybody to work together to make this happen. Together, we can build on the great foundations that we currently have and build something that will serve the next generation of New Ross RFC.

  • Help Required

    We need all kinds of help to deliver this project, whether that is direct financial help via the 300 Club or sponsorship or if you can offer to spend time to help us plan, construct, complete and operate these new facilities. Any help to raise funds or to support grant applications is also very welcome.

     

    Please contact our Chairman, Darren Molloy on darren.molloy@nrrfc.ie or 087 7844459 to offer any help or if you have any other questions or ideas.

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