Flood victims struggling to keep afloat
RUGBY clubs in England and Wales have been up to their necks in it, almost literally in some cases, as the clear-up from Storm Ciara and Dennis continues.
The Welsh Rugby Union recently pledged £100,000 from “their exceptional circumstances” fund to help affected clubs, while the RFU are looking at the situation on a regional, case-by-case basis. A statement issued to The
Rugby Paper by the RFU, said: “We don’t need to launch a specific fund as we already have facility funding programmes in place, in partnership with our constituent bodies, to identify facility projects locally and provide grant funding. This includes projects related to extreme weather conditions. These programmes are already being used to channel funding to clubs affected by the extreme weather.”
Payment holidays have been granted on any outstanding loans clubs may have with the RFU, and the governing body have backed applications to the Sport England emergency fund where appropriate.
Meanwhile, RFU pitch advisers are visiting clubs to offer support and guidance and try to help the clubs get back on their feet as quickly as possible.
Priced out of getting insurance because their grounds are on a flood plain, Lydney and Hereford have taken to fund-raising online to try to meet their extensive repair bills.
“I’ve never known anything like it,” said Hereford chairman Spencer Goodall, who said plans for the club’s 150th anniversary next season have had to be put on the back-burner.
“The last time the club was flooded inside was in 1988, but we didn’t have the facilities we have now back then. This time, the water level peaked at 6.1m. It’s never been that high before. Everything’s been ripped apart inside.”
When TRP spoke to Goodall, he’d heard “nothing whatsoever” from the RFU directly, but the North Midlands RFU had been in touch.
Despite being submerged, Hereford have not been cut off in every sense, though, with offers of help coming from far afield.
“The local community and the rugby family have been absolutely brilliant.
We’ve had donations on our GoFundMe page from Australia, New Zealand, Canada…and loads of rugby clubs within the UK.
“Worcester, Bath and Gloucester have sent us things for auction, Nigel Owens has sent us a shirt. We’re just over the £15,000 mark. Hopefully, we’ll get to our £20,000 target, but we anticipate it’s going to cost a lot more than that.”
Lydney RFC, who have been at the heart of the local community for 132 years, initially feared for their very existence after water several inches deep entered the clubhouse, changing rooms and kitchen and covered the pitches.
"It's caused catastrophic damage,” said chairman Duncan Sleeman. “The Gold Room, which is our main sponsored bar, has been absolutely decimated.
As well as applying for funding from Sport England, the amount raised by Lydney’s online appeal is approaching £12,000.
“As time goes on and the drying-out process is kicking in, more things are starting to materialise that have been affected and our initial guestimates for the repair bill are increasing,” added Sleeman.
Sleeman was keen to praise local RFU representatives, Don Parsons and Ash Stephens for their response. “They came down 48 hours after the flood and they were brilliant. They’ve seen it, felt it and smelt it.”
Flooded twice in one season, Derby RFC are at least fortunate that their First XV Artificial Grass Pitch (AGP) is owned and maintained by the RFU.
Repair work from last November’s floods was just about to be completed by RFU contractors when another wave of water came in from the River Derwent.
“Last November we had an absolute torrent of water going over the surface and it needed to be replaced. Thankfully, it has stayed intact this time. We’ve had to re-crumb the surface and clear away the debris. We’re virtually there”, said chairman Martyn Murney.
The same cannot be said for the club’s grass pitches which remain unplayable, ruining the fixture lists of teams below the First XV.
“At the moment, the AGP is the only potentially playable surface. We must have lost about ten fixtures, and that’s hit the club in the pocket,” said Murney.
“Even though our pitches drain quickly, we’re on flood land and the water level is so high it only needs a bit of rain to top it up.
An hour’s drive east, Newark RUFC’s clubhouse remains operational despite the floods, but with pitches unplayable. They are having to use other venues around the area to fulfil fixtures, including Magnus School where the first XV played last week against Loughborough.
With as many as 40 clubs thought to be affected by the floods, the eventual repair bill could run into hundreds of thousands.
The RFU added: “We’re working with uninsured clubs on short term and long term solutions. This may or may not involve direct funding support depending on circumstances.
“We have a number of ways of providing financial support and this may include some short term bridging loans prior to insurance and/or other