Cheltenham Rugby Club chosen as team base for Argentina and Tonga for ...

Comments (0)

Cheltenham Rugby Club has been confirmed as an official team base for the Rugby World Cup 2015, hosting Argentina and Tonga.

The Cheltenham Team Base consists of outdoor training facilities at the Prince of Wales Stadium, indoor training facilities and swimming pool at Leisure@cheltenham, and gym facilities at GYM66/ Crossfit P10.

A Rugby World Cup 2015 Team Base will consist of an outdoor pitch, indoor training facility, a swimming pool, gym and hotel and will be utilised by the competing teams in the lead up to and during the six week event. 

The facilities must meet international team training standards and be located on one site or within close proximity of one another. Match venue locations have also been taken into account as part of the selection programme.

The search for Team Bases was launched via an open tender process in May 2013 and over 90 bids from across the country and in Wales were received.

Cheltenham Rugby Club has worked closely with England Rugby 2015 over the past 12 months to facilitate detailed site visits and liaison with the teams prior to confirmation of its status as an official Team Base for Rugby World Cup 2015. 

With Argentina and Tonga based at Cheltenham Rugby Club, this gives Cheltenham the opportunity to be part of the world’s third largest sporting event and celebration of rugby next year.

A mix of rugby and football clubs, schools, colleges, universities and dedicated training facilities will be utilised by the 20 teams, taking the reach of the Tournament even further.

Steve Ratcliffe, Chairman of Cheltenham Rugby Club, said; “The club, members and supporters are delighted with this announcement. It is a huge honour for the Club, to be hosting Argentina and Tonga, particularly as we are celebrating our 125^th anniversary this year. The Club are very excited to be a major Stakeholder, in the third largest global sporting event in the world.

“The Club have arranged a World Cup Exhibition at Newlands Park in November, which is partly to celebrate our first hosting experience in 1905, when New Zealand played Cheltenham RFC. Since that time the Club has hosted many international sides and welcomed players from across the globe.”

David Evans, Club Administrator, who submitted the Team Base tender bid on behalf of the Club, commented; “it is a massive opportunity for the Club and Cheltenham Borough Council, to showcase its superb sporting facilities.

“It is great to bring RWC2015 and Argentina and Tonga to Cheltenham, which will make the community feel a part of the tournament and the chance for hotels, restaurants and bars in the town, to offer hospitality to visiting spectators and thus boosting the local economy.”

Cllr Rowena Hay, Cabinet Member, Cheltenham Borough Council, said; “I am delighted that RWC2015 have recognised that the sporting facilities in the Town are of a world class standard.”

Amy Driver from Gym66/CrossfitP10 said; “We are delighted that the Argentinian and Tongan teams, will be using our specialist services and that we will be taking an active part in RWC2015.”

England Rugby 2015 CEO, Debbie Jevans said: “As the organising committee for Rugby World Cup 2015 we are committed to ensuring that all participating teams have the optimum training environments available to them throughout the Tournament and in this regard we are delighted to announce our 41 official Team Bases for the event. Rugby, rightly, is at the heart of all our planning and we have worked closely with the teams to ensure that they have access to facilities and a Team Base that meet their individual needs.

“I would like to thank all those who have been part of the Team Base selection process and we are lucky to have some fantastic facilities right across the country. With a wide range of excellent facilities and locations secured the teams can be assured of having all their training needs met whilst allowing us to spread the reach of the Tournament even further throughout England and in Wales.”

Hartpury College is also one of 41 Team Bases for the Rugby World Cup 2015.

Hartpury will be a Team Base for Scotland and the USA’s Rugby World Cup 2015 squads for the tournament, which takes place in England and in Cardiff between September 18^th and October 31^st, 2015. Kingsholm will host three of the matches: USA v Japan; Scotland v Japan and Tonga v Georgia.

The Scotland and USA squads will use pitches at Hartpury College which benefit from the college’s facilities, which include a power gym, a cross-training gym, spa baths, artificial all-weather pitches, changing rooms and physiotherapy and rehabilitation suites.

Incoming search terms:

• yhs-fullyhosted_003


• rugby college rugby


• rugby college uk


• rugby collage


• college rugby


• rugby college UK summer


• rugby colleges


• rugbycollege


• rugy 7s commonwealth son of


• rugby college phone

Cheltenham Rugby Club chosen as team base for Argentina and Tonga for ...