Chairman Looks Ahead to New Season
Jul
Nottingham Rugby is gearing up both on and off the field for what promises to be an exciting new season in the Championship.
National Division One has been rebranded and shrunk from 16 to 12 teams and the new-look league will see the introduction of play-offs.
Chairman Geoff Huckstep believes this will add something extra for supporters.
He said: “The Promotion play offs will see the top eight teams compete at the end of the season in a mini competition for promotion to the Guinness Premiership.
“This new format will provide additional excitement right through the season and hopefully attract significant numbers of extra spectators.
“With the enhanced press coverage anticipated with the new league and cup structure, the club is focused on achieving an average gate of 2,000 spectators, which would contribute enormously to ‘balancing the books’ for the season.”
The new British and Irish Cup competition will also add something different to the 2009/10 campaign.
Huckstep said: “Nottingham has been drawn in a very strong pool for the inaugural tournament and will be taking on Bristol, Coventry and Neath at Meadow Lane with Munster and Heriots FP on the road.”
Season ticket sales ahead of this new exciting season have been extremely successful and have seen a rise of 40% on last year.
Corporate sales have also been impressive and the club will be announcing a new shirt sponsor as well as a number of other partners in the coming weeks.
Following the ‘call to arms’ last season Nottingham Rugby has seen fabulous generosity from its supporters and the city and has developed a realistic budget for next season.
Huckstep said: “We will continue to run a very tight ship over the coming months in order that the debts carried over from last season can be paid off within the next 12 months thus enabling to the club to start the 2010/11 season with a clean slate.
“I have to be honest and say that life is still a financial struggle for us, and i would urge the rugby loving public and the business community to continue the support offered at the time of the crisis last season by coming to the home matches and taking advantage of the many corporate and sponsorship packages available.
“The atmosphere generated has to be experienced to be believed and the quality of the opposition next season will be even better.”
For more information about season tickets or corporate opportunities please contact Laura Gregory on laura.gregory@nottinghamrugby.co.uk or (0115) 9850742.
