Exciting times as athletics club get ready to move in with rugby club

Harborough Athletic Club will have a new home at the town’s rugby club at the end of next month.

Market Harborough Rugby Club and Harborough Athletic Club have announced that the latter will use the former’s home in Northampton Road from June 29.

It marks an exciting point in the history of both clubs with new facilities for athletes in the town and the opportunity for the two clubs to work collaboratively promoting sport for all.

The rugby club are marking out a grass running straight for summer training and Harborough AC members will have access to changing rooms and showers as well the great social amenities the club house has to offer.

The first Harborough AC training session at the new venue will be on the evening of June 29 for both junior and senior members. Training that night will be started by a very special guest to mark the occasion.

Training for seniors will continue throughout the year at the rugby club on Tuesday evenings and on Mondays for juniors during the summer months before they train indoors in the winter at the spacious sports hall at Harborough Leisure Centre.

Harborough AC chair Will Clapp said: “It is an exciting new chapter in the history of the club.

“We’ve been made very welcome by the rugby club and can’t wait to get back to full training at our new home.

“It has been more than 12 months since we could train together as a whole club, and we are already looking at plans to enhance facilities for athletics in the future.”

Rugby club chairman Jonathan Stamp added: “We are delighted to welcome Harborough AC to our home at Northampton Road.

“We have many common values and are excited to be sharing our facilities to help promote sport and athletics in our community.

“We look forward to working alongside the athletic club in making the rugby club the centre for sport for all ages and we hope they enjoy their time here as much as we will.”

The clubs are hoping to use the move as a new opportunity to work together, promoting the benefits of sport in the town and encouraging people of all ages and abilities to get involved.

Harborough AC welcomes people who are new to running, those who want to train for their first Parkrun, 10K, or marathon in friendly groups led by experienced coaches, as well as experienced athletes.

Both clubs provide training and competition in all age groups for men and women, girls and boys, and see an opportunity to strengthen links with community partners such as local schools, colleges, other sports clubs and community organisations as a result of being located together.

For more information about Harborough AC visit www.harboroughac.co.uk and for further information about Market Harborough Rugby Club visit www.pitchero.com/clubs/market harboroughrugbyunionfootballclub