Mansfield Rugby Club has received a £1,000 grant from the Armchair Club to support a major project aimed at improving the quality and sustainability of its pitches at Crown Farm.

The grant is made up of £500 from the Armchair Club Foundation Trust and £500 from Mansfield Building Society. The money will go towards the purchase of a mobile sprinkler system, hoses and fittings forming part of a new irrigation system at the club's Eakring Road ground. Mansfield Rugby Club provides rugby for around 470 children and young people aged six to 18, 180 senior men and 40 senior women, with 22 teams regularly training and playing throughout the season.

With increasing numbers using the pitches and prolonged periods of dry weather making their maintenance more difficult, the club has embarked on a substantial programme to secure a sustainable source of water and improve its playing surfaces. It has already invested £12,000 plus VAT in drilling a borehole, which successfully struck water. The next stage involves installing a storage tank, pump, pipework and sprinkler equipment to distribute the water across the playing fields. The overall investment, excluding labour, will be almost £20,000. The project is particularly timely as Mansfield Rugby Club celebrates its 70th anniversary. Founded in 1956, the club has launched its 70 for 70 Campaign, aiming to raise £70,000 during its anniversary year towards improvements to its facilities.

Geoff Waller, on behalf of the Armchair Club, said:
"Mansfield Rugby Club plays an important role in local sport, providing opportunities for almost 700 people of all ages. "The members were unanimous in supporting this application. This is exactly the sort of practical investment that will benefit hundreds of local sportspeople now and for many years to come.

"We are also delighted that our partnership with Mansfield Building Society has enabled us to increase the support available. Half of this £1,000 award comes through the Armchair Club Sports Foundation Trust with the support of Mansfield Building Society."

Andy Foster, Chairman of Mansfield Rugby Club, welcomed the award, describing the news as "excellent" and saying the club greatly appreciated the Armchair Club's support.

The relationship will also see Mansfield Rugby Club looking to support the Armchair Club's own fundraising programme. Its youth section is already considering participation in the Armchair Club Swimathon in September, while the club also hopes to enter a table at the revamped Question of Sport evening in October. Mansfield Rugby Club has also been a regular supporter of the Mansfield Sports Recognition Awards, and Chairman Andy Foster confirmed that he hopes the club will again put forward nominations for this year's awards.
The Armchair Club raises money through its programme of local events and distributes the proceeds to talented sportspeople, clubs and sporting organisations across Mansfield, Ashfield and the surrounding area.

Pictured at Mansfield Rugby Club are L to R, Geoff Waller, Bruce Arnold, Andy Foster, Emma Hall, and Bill Taylor marking a £1,000 grant towards the club's new pitch irrigation system. The grant is made up of £500 from the Armchair Club Foundation Trust and £500 from Mansfield Building Society.