Historian Herb Howell recently visited the club's impressive new facilities and shares his findings.
Rhyl and District – Parts One and Two
By Herb Howell
The development of the Rhyl and District rugby club first began in 1928 and has taken many forms over the years. It has moved multiple time, within the community. It is currently experiencing its third major move since become Rhyl. Previously the club began its history as Prestatyn, documented back to 1923.
This is the first season at the new clubhouse, grounds, and community center! The enterprise began as the Twynewydd Project and cost £1.5 with £700,000 being raised from funds relating to the sale of two previously owned properties. The first of those was the ten-acre property donated by the Lord Langford Estate, some distance from town. Another earlier acquisition was the Social Club in Rhyl formerly held by the British Legion Club, in 1999.
This actual project officially began in 2015 as Denbighshire 1 County Council offered a 25-year lease for development of this project. The sale of two properties and grants from the Welsh Rugby Union then initiated the process of these and the significant areas of deprivation in the town, facilities as a community center serving the surrounding area. Those were just some of the basics but the emerging day-to-day operations take on additional complexities.
The club is open to the community seven days a week in order to meet the diverse needs of their community. There is a full time paid manager, in accordance with the requirements of the Welsh Rugby Union’s grant status. There are also twelve paid staff. This can become expensive, as it seriously cuts into the perceived need for volunteers! This is a commercial entity, which just happens to be a rugby club, which will continue to need volunteers at all levels.
Management wise, there are eight members of the Board of Directors of which Tony Evans is the Chairman. As a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) , the center is not considered a non-profit and thus operates as a business. There has been a large growth in the sale of sponsorship signage on the First XV pitch. Many more financial benefits are due to emerge in the coming months!
Currently, the Center serves over thirty various types of community organizations from choirs and luncheon clubs to special needs groups and weddings. It is also home to a wide variety of community groups. The events room, separate from the main bar, can accommodate up to 140 patrons for a sit down event. There are two separate bars, and a full professional kitchen that is capable of serving two separate events at the same time.
For televised rugby events like the Six Nations of the Rugby World Cup, the entire facility has a capacity of up to 500 people! That figure is yet to be tested! There are over 30 Youth players registered and at least 250 age group players from the Under 7s to under 16s. While visiting there, this writer was able to observe a women’s fifteen training session for the eventual competitions for next year.
Rhyl and District RFC now fields two full Senior men’s squads and are looking to develop a third side as well. The Vets team is also emerging.
This entire process(s) is still formative, with so many details still to be sorted. One example is the nice, new closet with shelves filled with framed archives, old team pictures, signed jerseys and so much more of the club’s history still to be organized and made viewable via those fresh empty walls.
PART 2
The Grand Opening banquet was held on Friday November 8, to an audience of 140 patron and supporters. Former Welsh National (both codes) player and OBE Jonathan Davies was invited to be the Guest of Honor and speaker for the packed house audience.
Former England and British Lions player and England National team coach (1983-85) Richard Greenwood provided this writer the details of the planning and administrative processes for the entire project. What follows here is a summary from his welcome speech to those celebrating the dedication event.
Recognition was to the quality people who formed the Board of Directors, as high-level problem solvers. These were the key players in the project team for the project. David Owen served admirably as the Finance Director together with his unimpeachable integrity. Iwan Prys Jones brought his vast professional experience to help balance the potentially conflicting opinions. Tony Evans, the Rhyl Rugby Club Honorary Secretary brought his skills as an excellent record keeper, which helped keep things on track. Tony now serves as the club’s energetic new Club Chairman. Dai Roberts, a civil servant, doubles a real class act of an administrator. He brings energy with charm in simple match day activities as well. Finally, there was the skill of Lee Blackmore, who has served as the Heartbeat of the club for many years: beyond anyone’s recall.
Finally, there was the skilled politician and masterful strategist Meirion Hughes. Before he passed he contributed massively to the success of this project. All the leaders worked exceptionally well together, despite their varied perspectives. They could not have achieved success otherwise.
The Welsh Rugby Union proved to be “Fantastic Partners” with Eleri Owen- the Funding Coordinator who worked tirelessly on the rugby club’s behalf and Chris Munro the National Club Development Manager. Chris was the essential link to Sport Wales Welsh Assembly and the WRU. It was felt by Rhyl that he carried the whole project on his shoulders. The project would not have succeeded without him!
“Chris, please accept the wholehearted thanks from the Rhyl Rugby club for your achievement on our behalf”!
By way of closure for the event and the dedication evening, much credit is deserved for the leadership provided by Richard Greenwood OBE! His stated goals for the club, back in 2015, were quite direct and simple.
1. To have 400 youngsters on the books.
2. To return the First XV to the North Wales First Division.
The sequel to this article will be presented soon with a focus entirely on the vast Community Engagement activities of the club currently.
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