Aberdeen Grammar Rugby secure £250,000 towards new 3G pitch

The quarter of a million-pound award comes from the Growth and Participation Fund – part of the Government’s grant funding given to Scottish Rugby during Covid-19.

Grammar are one of two successful applicants to the major capital investment fund – one of two strands underneath the Growth and Participation Fund – this year. The other club is Ayr RFC.

And although a new 3G pitch will be a huge coup for the club, Director of Rugby Kevin Burnett said the facility would be of huge benefit to the rugby community of Aberdeen.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the community around central Aberdeen and for clubs in the city. We’re really lacking development of this type, a dedicated playing surface for rugby to be used year-round.

“Our aspiration is rugby development and, as much as we are developing rugby, we don’t want to put a wall around it, we want it to be available for everyone.”

Rubislaw has been Grammar’s home ground for 110 years, but as Burnett said, it is a sporting facility that “needs to be further brought into the 21^st century”.

“We currently have access to two pitches and a training area, with limited flood lighting which is remote from the pitches. Rubislaw is susceptible to wet and cold weather, and games get cancelled quite a lot.

“A 3G pitch could have seen some of these games played. A 3G facility with floodlights would be a huge benefit to us and to all current users of the playing fields. We are fortunate that Aberdeen City Council are looking to invest about £1 million to upgrade the Harlaw Pavilion to provide additional changing facilities as well as a new teaching space that would be close to our preferred site for a 3G pitch.”

The club is looking at a community space as a future phase, but it will be something to consider once this first phase is complete.

“We need space for coach and engagement sessions, meeting areas, a weights gym facility and a social space. We currently access the Rubislaw pavilion, which is essentially a memorial hall built in 1923. It doesn’t have particularly good IT infrastructure and is lacking many of the facilities we need to access to reliably run club activities.

“We are looking into further fundraising. We have a plan for a number of other funding avenues, there are other grants we can look at, and are looking into pushing ahead with other applications. We are continuing to engage with the local business community who are keen to support use.

“We are targeting a £1.3 million total fund for the pitch and we have presented a viable and tested business model for the potential operation and maintenance of the 3G pitch.”