Narrabri Rugby Club has its sights firmly set on the expansion of its clubhouse and facilities, with plans officially displayed at the 60th anniversary celebrations on Sunday.
The expansion will see the addition of women’s changeroom facilities, accessible amenities including a baby change room as well as a larger clubhouse and members’ lounge.
Redevelopment plans were detailed to the Blue Boars faithful at Sunday’s long lunch festivities by club junior vice president Daniel Kahl.
“We are starting from a good base,” Mr Kahl said, explaining that revenue made from the two Santos Festivals of Rugby hosted by the Blue Boars in 2021 and 2023 has been set aside for the
project.
“The Festival of Rugby has enabled us to pay for everything up to this point without impacting the club’s operational budget,” he said.
The club has grown considerably since it developed Dangar Park from 1975 to 1978, and then the clubhouse in 1980 and 1981.
However, the time has come for facilities to expand again to facilitate the continued growth of the Blue Boars.
When the new clubhouse was completed in 1981, it was described in The Courier as one of the premier rugby venues in regional NSW.
Fast forward 43 years, and the same can be said again as the club focuses on an expanded facility that will continue to make the Blue Boars the premier club in the Central North competition as well as the envy of sporting clubs across regional and rural NSW.
The upgrades will ensure the clubhouse is fit for purpose now and into the future.
“In 1981 the club had two teams, first and reserve grades. Now the club has grown to 15 teams,” Mr Kahl said.
“The clubhouse has supported that growth over 43 years, but anyone who queued for a bathroom or the bar yesterday [Saturday’s home game against Moree] would surely agree that the club has reached a point where to continue supporting the growth and inclusivity of our rugby community, facilities may be due an upgrade.”
Draft plans were originally put together in 2020 and have since been refined before presenting to members and supporters on Sunday.
Mr Kahl said it was the club’s preference to expand the building out and not up.
“One of my favourite parts about the clubhouse as it is now is that by the time you walk up the entrance path, from one end of the clubhouse to the other, you get to see and say g’day to every generation and every member of the Blue Boars community.”
While the facilities will expand, that level of familiarity will remain the same for the large crowds which attend home games.
Mr Kahl explained the complexities of the site as the Blue Boars own the title which is home to the current clubhouse, however, titles surrounding the clubhouse fall under Crown Lands.
After negotiations with Crown Lands, the entire “hill” area is now under club control which will ease the process to redevelop the site.
The club hopes to secure a construction certificate within the next month or so, which will mark the next step in the redevelopment. A construction certificate will enable the Blue Boars to put the project out to tender, gain the necessary costings and work towards obtaining government financial support. With a current cost estimate of $1-1.5 million, the club will look to attract government support to assist in funding the upgrade along with the club’s own fundraising.
With the ability to undertake the project in phases or all at once, the club intends to carry out the project so that it has no impact on the club’s operational budget while also not impacting on the club’s operation during football seasons.
“We are now ready to bring the whole club and community with us on this journey,” Mr Kahl said.
