Exeter College Rugby Centre Opens with Inclusive Community Sports Event
Exeter College is proud to announce the official opening of its brand new Centre for Rugby, a community facility that represents a shared vision of excellence, inclusivity, and sustainability in sport.
The result of a powerful collaboration between Exeter College, Exeter City Council, the Rugby Football Union (RFU), and Exeter Chiefs, this new pitch is a major investment in both grassroots rugby and the wider Exeter community. Today, partners from across the city, including Tony Rowe CBE from Exeter Chiefs, Councillor Philip Bialyk and William Michelmore Deputy Lieutenant gathered to officially unveil the new site.
Thanks to the generous backing of the Department for Education, which awarded £4 million towards the project, and with the College contributing the remaining funds, this facility is now set to benefit students, clubs, and communities across the region.
“This pitch isn’t just about high performance—it’s about creating opportunities for everyone,” said Alex Boyle, Head of Faculty for Sport at Exeter College. “It’s a space where young people can be inspired, local clubs can thrive, and the entire Exeter community can come together through sport.”
He continued, “This is a pitch we can use all day, every day, across the week and the weekend and the Centre for Rugby will provide us with teaching spaces for completing tasks like analysis, medical facilities, and we can also host RFU courses and academic lessons. We’re very lucky, its right in the middle of our training facility here and means we can provide outstanding facilities to our students and the community to support a love of sport.”
Already schools from across the region have begun to use the facility, underscoring the inclusive vision behind the project. Today, as the pitch was officially opened, students from schools across Devon, all of whom are deaf or hard of hearing, took part in a day of inclusive sporting activities. Led by Nick Gillard from St Luke’s Church of England School, in partnership with Devon County Council, the event created a welcoming space where young people could enjoy sport, connect with others who share similar experiences, and build lasting friendships through teamwork. Strive 25 also delivered a T1 (the RFU’s first non-contact form of rugby) training session, designed at getting young women and girls into rugby, supported by the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Environmental responsibility was central to the construction process, with every effort made to protect surrounding green spaces and habitats. Steve Strang, Executive Director of Estates and Sustainability at Exeter College, said; “The artificial grass pitch, installed by Verde, uses a surface that is not only high-performance but also entirely recyclable. With a 100% natural, compostable infill, the pitch sets a new benchmark for sustainability in sports infrastructure.”
This all-weather pitch will be in use seven days a week, welcoming not only Exeter College students and the Exeter Chiefs, but also local clubs such as Exeter Athletic, Topsham RFC, and Exeter Saracens, who will now have access to a top-tier training and matchday surface.
This facility is a major step forward in the College’s long-standing commitment to community sport. It’s about giving every young person, from grassroots to elite level, the chance to participate, progress, and belong, and serves as a shining example of sport’s ability to unite and uplift.
