WRU TV caught up with staff, volunteers, parents and partners of Rhyl & District RFC to see how the town has worked together to create a club for the whole community.

A project to move the club to a more central location, create jobs and increase the inclusivity of the club has been hailed as a ‘roaring success’.

Playing numbers have increased despite lockdowns – the mini and junior section has more than doubled; the club now has 20 full-time employees and an annual turnover of just under £1 million with all the profit ploughed back into the club for the benefit of all.

Club chair Tony Evans said, “We had the vision, we knew what we wanted, but what we’ve got now is way beyond anything we dreamed of. It was a case of ‘if we build it, will they come? And they have, and then some.

“We were lucky to have someone like Dick Greenwood, our previous chairman who drove the project to fruition.”

Club manager Lee Blackmore said, “It’s about engaging the whole community. They need to feel welcome to come and use the club and keep using it. I would say any club based within a town could aim to do something like our project.”

The club received grants from a range of public and private funding partners such as Welsh Government, Sport Wales, Welsh Rugby Union, Gwynt y Mor and WCVA and works closely with community partners such as schools and Police Community Support Officers on engagement projects.