By Official Press Release
April 4 2014

London Welsh Rugby Football Club has confirmed its long-term commitment to play top flight professional rugby in Oxfordshire with the agreement of a new three-year deal to continue at the Kassam Stadium.

A modern facility with excellent accessibility, the Kassam Stadium is a tried-and-tested world-class rugby venue and is the logical choice for London Welsh as it continues to establish itself as Oxford’s representative side at the highest levels in English rugby.

Part of the Club’s long-term vision is its investment in the Oxfordshire community. With an established community development programme reaching over 3,000 young people in schools and rugby clubs across Oxfordshire, the Club has already shown how it intends to keep investing in the area and today’s announcement helps to affirm that commitment.

The Club has been encouraged by the support it has received from those who regularly attend its matches and is now looking forward to increasing and widening its engagement with all communities throughout the region, building on what has already been achieved through a number of excellent business partnerships and community-based activities.

London Welsh Chairman Bleddyn Phillips, said: “The Kassam Stadium is an excellent facility with a great pitch and very popular with the Club’s players. We are delighted to be in a position to be able to confirm the Club’s commitment to Oxfordshire with the signing of this agreement.

“With the team having secured its place in the Championship semi-finals these are exciting times for both the Club, and for Oxfordshire generally, in the realm of rugby. The Club is committed to establishing itself as a Premiership club and this is a very important step in that direction.

“We are looking forward to building up and deepening local support in Oxfordshire to help us achieve and continue to play top class rugby in the county, together with maintaining our strong and traditional links with the ever loyal support base from Old Deer Park where the professional team will continue to work and train alongside our Amateur and Womens teams as well as participating fully in junior rugby at all levels.”

Michael Doyle, General Manager of The Kassam Stadium, said: “This is very exciting for the people of Oxfordshire – to have both top-flight professional football and rugby playing week-in week-out is great news, and therefore we are delighted that London Welsh has chosen The Kassam and Oxford to be its home.

“The last two seasons have shown that rugby and football can co-exist very happily and the investments that both Welsh and Oxford United have made, has meant we have a playing surface even better than many single sport facilities.

“We will continue to welcome the supporters of London Welsh from across Oxfordshire and from further afield to the excellent facilities here at The Kassam. This new three-year agreement will allow us to continue to develop and invest in those facilities.”

The dates for the play-off matches to secure a place in next season’s Premiership will be confirmed in due course.

ENDS