Rising costs push Frant Road rugby club ‘to brink’ of closure

Streatham and Croydon RFC, one of the oldest rugby clubs in the world, has launched an “emergency appeal” for funds to keep the organisation going.

The club has its own ground on Frant Road in Thornton Heath, but is a victim of the cost of living crisis at a time when its membership numbers are not generating the kind of income required to keep the club’s activities viable.

After a couple of encouraging seasons, this term their first XV is planted close to the bottom of their league, Counties 3 Surrey, without a single win or point. They lost their last game 78-0, just the latest of a series of bone-shaking big defeats.

But the biggest match now facing Streatham and Croydon is one for the very survival of the club itself.

“I’m asking for your urgent support,” the club’s president, Femi Oresanya, announced on the Streatham and Croydon club website last night.

Streatham and Croydon want to re-launch their women’s and girls’ section – World Cup-winner Sadia Kabeya learned the game playing at Frant Road.

The club’s other plans include renovating their disused squash courts.

But Oresanya issued a dire warning: “Without immediate help, our club is at risk of closing.”

Oresanya noted that Thornton Heath is hardly a part of the country noted for its rugby traditions, despite his club having been founded in 1871. He said that S&C is “a vital part of our community in Thornton Heath”, with the club providing free children’s holiday rugby camps and hiring out its pitches for local schools at reduced rates.

“However, rising costs – utilities, coaching, maintenance, insurance; plus unavoidable major expenses including repairs and a new power supply for our electric gates – have pushed us to the brink.

“We must raise much needed-fund to survive.

“Please help us protect 153 years of history — and our community’s future.”

To find out more about Streatham and Croydon RFC or to contribute to their emergency appeal, click here

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