Rugby club purchase new training equipment thanks to donation from local housebuilder

Bellway West Midlands, which is building 217 new homes at Victoria Gate, off Ranshaw Drive in Stafford, has given St Leonards RFC a £500 contribution.

The money will be used to buy new training equipment, including training balls, tackle pads and tackle shields, which will be used in pre-season coaching and fitness sessions.

This latest donation from Bellway West Midlands is the second time that the housebuilder has sponsored the club.

In 2019, the developer signed a £3,500 sponsorship deal with the club. The money helped the club buy new playing kit and post protectors, which featured the Bellway logo.

Olivier Quindos, Vice Chairman at St Leonards RFC, said: “Over the past few years Bellway has been a great support and its previous sponsorship helped us secure vital equipment for our club such as playing shirts, training T-shirts and post protectors.

“With this renewed sponsorship, the funds will help us buy new training equipment, such as balls and tackle pads. This equipment will allow us to have a great pre-season in which we can get the teams fit and ready for the new season ahead.

“Clubs like ours could not survive without the support provided through sponsorship by companies like Bellway. Our club has been allowing men in the Stafford area to socialise and play rugby for almost 50 years and with the support of local companies like Bellway we aim to carry on doing so.”

St Leonards RFC plays its home games at Beaconside Sports and Fitness in Prosperity Park, off Weston Road – less than two miles from Victoria Gate, which is transforming part of the former General Electric site in Stafford. The club has two men’s teams, with the first team playing in the Counties 4 Midlands West (North) of the Midlands division.

Lisa Morris, Sales Manager at Bellway West Midlands, said: “We are very proud of our ongoing sponsorship at St Leonards RFC and treasure our close relationship with the club. Our ethos at Bellway is not only to deliver sustainable and attractive new neighbourhoods but also to play an active and positive role in the daily lives of the local communities where we build.

“St Leonards RFC is a grassroots rugby club which provides an opportunity for people to play the game and also to meet, socialise and develop lasting friendships. Rugby is known to feature a strong social aspect off the pitch and at St Leonards that is very much the case.

“We wish the coaches and players all the best for their important pre-season sessions and hope the equipment will not only allow them to start the new playing calendar in peak fitness but also to keep that up throughout the whole season.”

More information can be found at the club’s website stleonardsrugby.co.uk/

By Amy Dodson - Contributor