TAVISTOCK Rugby Club have something to play for – its future – after councillors gave members £40,000 to buy land for pitches and training at its Sandy Park home.

West Devon Borough Council put its hand in its pocket to boost contributions of nearly £90,000 towards the project, which will help the club guarantee rugby for generations to come.

Club treasurer Andy Griffiths said the club already rents the land, but could not be certain if would one day be sold by its former owner. He said a condition had been laid down as part of the purchase which guaranteed the land would not be used for anything but rugby for the next 20-plus years.

Mr Griffiths, a former first-team player with Tavistock, said: ‘It’s good news – we have been at Sandy Park probably for over 30 years and we have only ever owned the field we are already on. It was a case of securing the future of the club by getting more playing fields.

‘We never knew what might happen to the land in the future or what it might be used for, but there is an agreement that the land will not be used for anything but rugby – not that we would have done that anyway.’

The money from the borough council was secured through Section 106 (S106) funding relating to the Embden Grange development on Butcher Park Hill, which requires a developer to contribute to the community.

Mr Griffiths, who expressed the club’s gratitude for the support it had received, added: ‘Using the S106 fund has enabled us to secure matched funding from Sport England and has meant what was looking like a very tricky project to raise funds for, finally become a reality.

‘We currently provide rugby for boys and girls aged five to 11, with our boys section then continuing on right up to the age of 18. In addition, we have two senior men’s sides and the occasional veteran team (over 35s).

‘As a club we now own two of the three playing fields at our current location and this latest purchase will help to ensure we can continue to provide rugby to the ever-growing population of Tavistock.’

The borough council also supported the club with a further £14,000 last year from Section 106 funding, for clubhouse improvements, along with helping towards the purchase of a container unit to convert into an additional changing room.

The purchase has also been part funded by Sport England to the tune of £35,000 and the club itself have contributed £11,650, with £860 from Tavistock Town Council and £200 from Devon County Council.

West Devon Borough Council lead member for health and wellbeing, Cllr Tony Leech, said: ‘The purchase of this land has been in the offing for a long time, so it’s fantastic to see the purchase complete and the club reach a significant long-term goal with support from the council.’
‘Lots of people benefit from grassroots sport; with such a substantial programme in place that supports rugby for all age groups, there are so many families and residents of West Devon who gain a lot from everything that the club does.

It is now a well-known fact that getting involved with sports and outdoor exercise proves extremely beneficial when it comes to people’s health and wellbeing.’