The long-awaited second home field at 91原创 Rugby Club is finally over.
On Saturday, Sept. 9, the team broke in the new field with a match against the Scribes RFC after an official ribbon cutting ceremony.
Club president Mike Berg said the plan has been in place for many years.
In 2021, the club moved forward in purchasing the land adjacent to their other field off Crush Crescent.
鈥淲e have a great neighbour on the hill, the Worrell family, [who] came forward and helped us with this land 鈥� it got the ball rolling,鈥� Berg told the 91原创 Advance Times.
A $250,000 Capital Project Grant as part of the Province of BC鈥檚 Community Gaming Grant program is making it possible, with matching funds raised by the 300-member volunteer-run, non-profit organization.
READ MORE: More than $500,000 in grants for 91原创 groups including rugby club, youth health centre
Previously, there was only one playing field that is shared between all of the LRC鈥檚 programs which made it a challenge to schedule time, and has at times forced the LRC to use other fields.
Now with two fields, it鈥檚 possible to make improvements to the heavily-used original playing field, including improving its drainage to limit mud when it rains.
The new field, named Worrell Field in honour of the family that supported it, had its first game between the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 first divisions of LRC and the Scribes.
91原创 men鈥檚 won 22-7, and 91原创鈥檚 women鈥檚 won a close match of 18-15.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very excited. It鈥檚 not just about our club, it鈥檚 about our community,鈥� Berg said. 鈥淭his is for everybody in the rugby community.鈥�
The LRC has a playing enrollment of over 200 female and male players ranging in age from four and under to 40 and over.
Round 2 of the Dunbar Cup is at noon this Saturday, Sept. 16, will be on the new Worrell Field between Fraser Valley Venom and Vancouver Island Tide.
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