New home for town's historic hockey club

Rugby and East Warwickshire Hockey Club players pose at their new venue

A hockey club has moved to a new home and signed a four-year deal with a college.

Rugby and East Warwickshire Hockey Club has struck an agreement with Rugby College to use its astroturf as the club’s main pitch.

The hockey club has more than 500 members, ranging from the age of four up to 70.

It formed in 2007 following the merger of Rugby HC and GEC Rugby HC, which both had combined histories of nearly 200 years in the town.

Club chair Julia Bower said it was hoped the new relationship with Warwickshire College (WCG), which owns the site, will bring benefits to both parties, such as providing opportunities to Rugby College students.

“The college is in a perfect location for us and there is scope to expand here, with work already completed to improve the surface,” she said.

The hockey club currently comprises eight men’s teams, five ladies’ teams, a badger’s side, masters’ teams and junior age group teams from under 8s to under 18s.

Sarah Butterfield, director of adult learning and commercial development at WCG, said the college was proud to be the hockey club’s primary venue.

“Facilities at the college ideally position it to host a large community sports club like Rugby and East Warwickshire HC and we look forward to continuing to work alongside them in the years to come to provide a home which they can be proud of,” she said.

The club has also been selected by England Hockey to apply for Talent Centre status, which it hoped to achieve by next season, as an official recognition of the quality of its coaching.