Newport Rugby Club plans for the future

A rugby club is seeing such a large increase in the number of women who want to play the game that it is making £500,000-plus plans for the future.

But to give it time to raise the small fortune for a new changing block, Newport Rugby Club has lodged a planning application with Telford & Wrekin Council for temporary buildings at its site.

The club’s Steve Murphy has told council planners that men and women cannot use the current changing block at the same time.

“This application is to provide temporary accommodation for ladies changing rooms at the club,” says Mr Murphy.

“Currently safeguarding will not allow male and female players in the existing changing room block at the same time which restricts ladies to games only on Sunday afternoon and also restricts training times. “

Mr Murphy adds that the buildings are required to make better provision for the “ever growing number of ladies in the club and for visiting lady referees.”

The club official adds that the Forton Road-based club has “long term plans to build a whole new changing block to Rugby Union and Sport England specifications.”

But that is not a cheap plan. Mr Murphy says the proposed architectural schemes for the new block specify a building “in excess of half a million pounds.”

They estimate that this will take five years to raise.

“We have therefore purchased two Portakabin buildings to which we have attached an existing mobile medical unit in order to provide a facility before next season starts.”

The temporary buildings would sit on land that is ‘occasionally’ used for car parking on the grass. But cars that are parked there can be “easily be located elsewhere on site.

The application is open for public consultation on the Telford & Wrekin Council planning portal with the reference TWC/2025/0349

Pic: Google Maps
Story by David Tooley – Local Democracy Reporter