The seeds have been sown on a project to create a new rugby pitch for community use in Brechin.
Brechin Rugby Club has started work at its new home at Cookston playing fields, off Cookston Road.
In previous years the club has shared facilities with other clubs, most recently the town’s cricket club, but has never had its own clubrooms and for the past four years it has trained at the public park at Wards Road.
This month the two hectare site was cleared of weeds free of charge by D M Carnegie. Then Emma and Sandy Milne from Carcary Farm volunteered their services to turn over the field and plant grass seeds.
This week fencing around the site, which will contain a full size pitch as well as four smaller training pitches, has been erected.
In time the club, which has several junior teams as well as Bruce, the only veterans team in Angus, hopes to build a new clubhouse.
Project manager and Bruce team manager Gary Robertson said he was delighted to see the work starting.
He said: “It’s been a long time in the planning. We’ve been saving up for this for the last five years.
“We’ve now got to let the grass grow and then we will have a need to get our hands on grass cutting equipment.
“We are hoping that in around three weeks’ time we’ll be giving it its first very gentle trim. We are hoping that the little kids will be able to train on the pitches on late September.”
A crowdfunding project led to £1,328 being raised by the Community as well as a £1,250 Angus Council grant.
The club is finalising the small print for its 99-year lease for the ground from Angus Council.
A planning application has been lodged for temporary accommodation to be situated at the ground.
This will buy the club time to raise the six-figure sum required to build a permanent clubhouse.
Gary added: “The portacabin will have a toilet, small kitchen and a changing area and will cost just under £10,000 plus vat. We also need a storage container that we need that will be another £5,000 or so.
“These will keep us going for the next couple of years until we get the cash together for the big project. We will be making big applications to sportscotland and the lottery in due course for the next stage.”
The club is keen for schools and other community groups to be able to use the new facilities.
The plan for the permanent clubhouse is for it to contain changing and shower rooms, offices, large communal area, kitchen and a garage for the ground maintenance equipment.
The new building will also include solar panels to help pay for energy requirements and hopefully provide a cash stream.
