Coventry Rugby Club setting the standard both on and off the pitch

Coventry Rugby Club continues to set the benchmark both on and off the field— combining exciting performances with deeprooted community engagement and a clear pathway for developing the region’s next generation of rugby talent.

Now competing at the top end of the RFU Championship - recently rebranded as Champ Rugby - Coventry enters the 2025/26 season with strong momentum, buoyed by a 17 per cent year-on-year rise in season membership sales.

Sponsorship remains robust, with every partner renewing for the new seasonreinforcing Coventry’s position as a leader in the league.

The club is well placed to pursue its vision of a Premiership future and a self-sustaining, multi-purpose stadium - a goal championed by Executive Chairman Jon Sharp and CEO Nick Johnston.

Its long-term strategy is built on solid commercial backing, elite player development, and strong community roots.

The updated 14-team Champ Rugby format - featuring Worcester Warriors and Richmond - offers a more dynamic fixture list, including a minimum of 13 home league games, three preseason matches, and, following the successful launch of the Academy, up to 16 additional home fixtures. All are included in the season membership, offering supporters access to up to 30 matches.

Matchday at Butts Park Arena is a standout experience. Supporters enjoy a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere, with a range of accessible food and drink options.

A VIP club offers panoramic pitch views from premium seats and hospitality lounges, while the 300-seater Tutors & Exams Platinum Marquee delivers a three-course pre-match lunch, live music, and interviews with players and coaches.

Local businesses regularly host guests, using the marquee as a vibrant networking environment.

These facilities are also available yearround for conferences and social events, with flexible spaces accommodating groups from 25 to 500.

Beyond rugby, Coventry is a community force. Programmes such as Project 500, inclusive sports camps, literacy-throughsport sessions, and partnerships with SEND schools reflect a mission to make sport and wellbeing accessible to all.

The Coventry Rugby Foundation - a nationally registered charity supported by partners like Charter Savings Bank - works closely with the club to deliver outreach programmes in schools across the region.

Additional initiatives, including wheelchair rugby, walking rugby, and multi-sport camps, support participation for all ages and abilities.

The Foundation recently hosted its first business lunch in the marquee, where 300 guests helped raise over £25,000 to support ongoing projects.

Launched in 2024, the Coventry Rugby Regional Academy is now a standout success in the West Midlands. With over 370 players engaged and 80 per cent of U18 elite athletes drawn from within 40 miles, the academy is locally grounded and nationally respected. Its target: 70 per cent of Coventry’s first team to be academy graduates by 2029.

Already, eight U18s have progressed into the Senior Academy for 2025.

Executive Chairman Jon Sharp said: “Since 2004, Butts Park Arena has been our home - a 5,250-capacity venue that also hosts football, rugby league, and GB American Football.

“Our vision is to transform it into a thriving economic and social hub with enhanced hospitality, retail, and matchday experiences. It makes for an exciting future.”