Kingsbridge Rugby Club has expanded its facilities to accommodate more players and create more space for the wider community.

The club has completed a six-figure extension to its clubhouse and changing rooms, with £75,000 of Section 106 funding from South Hams District Council and a further £200,000 from the Rugby Football Union (RFU).

The project means the club can now accommodate men’s, women’s and youth fixtures at the same time, with new RFU-compliant changing rooms providing greater flexibility for different age groups.

Sam Davies, player and social media manager at Kingsbridge RFC, said the changes were particularly significant on Sundays, when the club welcomes large numbers of junior players and their families.

She said: “Because there are two exits on the front side and the back side, we can now have a lot more games with different age groups, especially on Sundays when we have so many juniors.

“Everyone loves coming up here - to support all age groups, actually. It’s a nice venue and a safe space to bring your children to play their rugby.

“And then also to come up and have a beer and watch some rugby. So it is a really good community asset.”

The clubhouse extension has also significantly increased the social space available.

The RFU funding came through Impact ’25, the legacy programme associated with the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, which included Government funding aimed at improving accessibility to rugby for women and girls.

Rachael Miller, RFU club developer for Devon and Cornwall, said the project’s focus was particularly on improving facilities for the female game.

She said the new changing rooms provided greater flexibility for fixtures and mixed-age groups, while the additional clubhouse space could help the club take on a wider role in the community.

“We want rugby clubs to become community hubs and really sit within their local community,” she said.

“This space is going to allow them to do that. They provide such an inclusive and safe space for people to come to.”

The project was funded through a combination of the RFU grant and loan, £75,000 of Section 106 funding from the council, and the club’s own fundraising.

The council funding came from Section 106 contributions associated with the Applegate housing development off Belle Hill in Kingsbridge.

Section 106 agreements are used to secure contributions from developers towards infrastructure and facilities needed as a result of new development.

The council said it has worked with the RFU to proactively link Section 106 funding to rugby facility projects identified through its Playing Pitch Strategy.

This has also included projects at Plymstock Albion Oaks and Ivybridge.

Cllr Vic Abbott, South Hams Executive Member for Community Services, Operations and Leisure, said sport could benefit people “mentally as well as physically and socially”.

The completed work, he added, would help bring more people together at the club.

Ms Miller said the benefits extended beyond those playing on the pitch.

“Whether you’re playing, volunteering, or just coming along to support, it doesn’t matter; you’ll be welcome,” she said.

Ian Brooking, chairman of Kingsbridge Rugby Club, called the development a “landmark project” and thanked South Hams District Council and the RFU for their “generous support” to enable the project.