Rugby club needs to raise £150k to stay afloat

The club may need to close if it cannot raise £150,000 in six weeks

A rugby club that has been operating for 127 years has said it is fighting for its future as it raises funds to make its clubhouse safe.

Reading Rugby Club in Sonning, Berkshire, says it has raised about £150,000 to renovate the building but tests have found asbestos in its roof, meaning another £150,000 must be found.

The club said it might need to close if it cannot raise the money in six weeks.

Hayley Flynn, whose 14-year-old daughter plays for the club, said the work it does with its girls, women's and mixed-ability teams would be missed if it folded.

"The club's been there over 100 years so lots of people in and around the area have got a connection to the club, whether current or past," she said.

Ms Flynn added it was something anyone could feel part of, "regardless of age or gender", and to lose it would be "a terrible, terrible thing".

"The options available to [members] and the success that's come from the club, is outstanding," she said.

"For that to be taken away and for the teams to have to separate would be so disappointing."

'Monumental task'

The club's chairman, John Kelly, said poor weather had damaged the roof and the electrical system last year, and then the cost of materials and labour for the repairs had risen.

"We've found ourselves with a shortfall despite our volunteers' best efforts," he said.

He added that the money needed to be raised in six weeks describing it as "a monumental task".

"But thanks to the efforts of Hayley and all of the other parents who've rallied together, we're well on our way to moving towards that target," he said.

"We are a family, the friends you make in rugby you are effectively friends for life... we want to make sure that we can maintain that for the next 125 years."

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