The St Albans Centurions Rugby League Club are delighted to announce that, after 15 years of sharing rugby union and football clubs facilities, they have now secured their own clubhouse and ‘rugby league only’ pitch. The opportunity to develop the pitch and surrounding area into a larger rugby league friendly venue has also been discussed.
After several meetings with St Albans Council, club chairman Brian Parker announced that the club has been offered an area of land at Toulmin Drive, in the New Greens area of St Albans that is currently the home of several football pitches. Parker said “ Currently the land in question is the home of nine football pitches. We identified that only a fraction of them were being used on a regular basis. When we approached the council with a suggestion that some of the land be used for a permanent base for the Centurions, we found the council very willing to listen and exceptionally helpful. When we met them and explained our senior and junior development plans they couldn’t have been more supportive and helpful.”
The new pitch also comes with an adjacent building that houses 12 changing rooms, 4 shower rooms, 4 match officials rooms and storage areas, all maintained by the council to a very high standard. Head coach Shane Rampling said “We really appreciate all the help that St Albans council and the local ward councilors have given the club. At first it will just be a ‘standalone’ rugby league pitch, but we have already been discussing the possiblilty of copying a nearby soccer pitch, with a fence and footpath around the edges, and dugouts and a scoreboard, everyone is looking forward to this move.”
Now that The Cents playing venue had been taken care of, it was unbelieveable that just around the corner, in High Oaks, they found the New Greens Residents Assosciation were looking for a sports club to share its more that impresive facitities. When committee members from the Cents met the committee from the residents association, the meetings were so productive and convivial that the residents assoc. asked for a new lease to be drawn up that gives the rugby club and residents association joint ownership.
Club president Tony Bottomley said “When I saw the club premises I couldn’t believe it. It is enormous. A large functions room, brand new kitchen, very spacious bar area, with a snooker, pool and darts area as well. What more could a rugby club want? Who could have imagined that when the Cents started 15 years ago, that we would have our own rugby league venue and a superb clubhouse like this to welcome our members and guests to, hopefully for many years to come.”
St Albans Centurions first game at their new ground will be on Saturday 12th February at 2pm when they play a friendly match against Cambridge University Rugby League team who will use this game as a warm up to their Varsity match. However, the fist two teams to play at the new venue will be juniors, when two of Cents junior teams, New Greens Gladiators take on Hatfield Comets as a curtain raiser to the Cambridge game.
