With a new management team now driving it forward, the 145-year-old Rugby Union club is paving the way to achieve its goal of being the “go to club in the Midlands” with the announcement that it has secured an agreement to use the prestigious St George’s Park as its weekly training facility.

Burton Rugby Football Club (RFC) will use of the state-of-the-art, £105 million Tatenhill venue’s full size indoor 3G pitch as its training ground every Tuesday evening.

St George's Park is the English Football Association's national football centre, so club players, who come from across south and east Staffordshire, will be following in Premiership footsteps.
The agreement has been secured for the 2015/16 season, but it’s hoped the deal will mark the start of a productive, long term community partnership.

Head coaches Nick Adams, of Mickleover, a former Wasps’ player in both the Premiership and Heineken Cup, and Tom Barlow, of Castle Donnington, who has played for several professional sides, will continue to lead Burton Rugby Club and both are eager for training to get underway at St George’s Park (SGP) on September 22.
Commenting on the enviable new deal, Nick said: “After a nomadic existence, Burton wanted to find a permanent training base.
“There will be clubs in the premiership looking on in envy at the facilities that are now available to us to use SGP.”
He added: “This really is a coup for the club, and we are all very excited about getting started.”

SGP’s Commercial Manager, Holly Glover, said: “I am delighted to welcome Burton Rugby Club to train on the outstanding training facilities here at St George’s Park. It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to engage with such an enthusiastic local community team that is striving to build on it current success. I’m sure it will be a beneficial partnership.”

And it’s not the only high profile accolade that Burton RFC is celebrating. Burton RFC’s new management team’s also recruited Ex Leicester Tiger and All Black Craig Newby as its international ambassador, and ex-Leicester Tigers physio, Julie Hayton, as the club’s new head of physio and rehab.

The legendary Polar explorer, Mark Wood, was also persuaded to deliver a recent talk to players on ethics and team values. He proved a hit with players, according to Club Captain Harry Titley.
Harry admitted: “There has been some great feedback from the lads. They have admitted that they weren’t expecting anything like it and were motivated. It has inspired them to also go that little bit further.”

Former Burton RFC Captain, and now Director of Rugby, Mark Tweddle, of Lichfield, said: “It is the aim Burton Rugby Club to provide the best facilities and rugby environment that it can provide and to be the ‘Rugby Union Club of Choice’ in the Midlands.
“With the partnership that we have agreed with St George’s Park, and all the other support the new management team is introducing, we feel that as a Playing and Coaching team, we are providing the players with foundations to enable them to be successful for the forthcoming season.”

The new management structure also sees Craig Dutton join Mark Tweddle as Assistant Director of Rugby; Jono Edwards become team manager; Paul Newcombe the fitness coach; Sarah Nicholls the fixture secretary; and Danny Bayes the Colts’ coach.

Future talks in the pipeline for the Peel Croft club’s players include from Premiership legend, former Netherlands’ International Jimmy Floyd Hasslebank, who is now manager of Burton Albion FC.