News

Update on facilities, works and maintenance at SURFC – May & June 2020.

With the early conclusion to the rugby season, we initially expected to be able to make an early start on the usual summer maintenance programmes and hit the ‘to-do’ list pretty hard.  However, due to the WRU Covid-19 guidelines, and then the UK & Welsh Government rules overlaying that, we were significantly limited in what we could get done.

The Board made the decision to effectively mothball the club and its facilities for the time being.  Our aim was to minimise any cross-contamination between members/volunteers & the like, plus by moving the club into a hibernation state, we could reduce our normal overheads like electricity/heating/water usage etc.

Unfortunately this also meant closing facilities such as the gym, and having to postpone and cancel many functions which had been booked in over the spring & summer.  On the plus-side, several senior players showed great commitment and intent by ‘borrowing for lockdown’ several pieces of kit from the gym.  All carefully administered by Michael Evans and his spreadsheet.

Besides all that we have been able to carry out some maintenance and upkeep between the Board members, while maintaining strict sanitation and social distancing protocols.  Examples of these include:

• Club pitches have been maintained throughout.  This includes cutting, spiking and brushing.  We have also managed to get some fertilizer out there to kick-start the summer growth.  Further maintenance will include over-seeding, and some intensive work on some of the more worn-out patches (when lockdown & contractors’ furloughs allow).

• Further minor field maintenance has been completed in the form of clearing overgrowth from beside the kit shed.  There’s plenty more where that came from around the perimeter, so watch this space for when we can have a working party back on site.

• The UKCC pitch has still been open for business, as part of the village’s municipal facilities.  We have again been able to cut that field occasionally, and in the past week we’ve been able to start the annual summer decompaction program.  Definitely one just for the grass nerds.

• The UKCC changing rooms have had their roof repaired too.  The Community Council confirmed that the relevant works have been carried out, and so we’ll work out how best to progress with them in getting the water-damaged walls resurfaced and some decorating done too.

• At the club, the Apprentice has popped up a number of times to get the carpark fence rail painted, and has moved on to the rest of the patio furniture to give it the annual staining.

• Indoors, we’ve put a fresh lick of paint on all the white wall surfaces downstairs – multi-use hall, corridors, changing rooms etc.

• Throughout lockdown the team have been ensuring the basics still worked with a weekly visit for flushing toilets, running taps and admiring the stripes in the cut of the grass.  A regular schedule has been followed so we can maintain cleanliness and sanitation levels at the club throughout, ready for whenever we can reopen.

• The bar feels an eerie place with no booze in it.  All the beer lines had been emptied and filled with the necessary preservatives from the brewery.  Our perishable stocks (chocolates, & snacks) were divided evenly into packages for Singleton and Morriston Hospitals.

We still have a healthy ‘to-do’ list on the table, and would be more than pleased to be able to share out some tasks for willing volunteers who can spare the time when we’re back online.

At the time of print, we remain in a holding pattern around the clubs status.  We are closed, mothballed, hibernating.  We wait with baited breath to see what Boris relaxes next, and then how that cascades through Welsh Government and subsequently through the WRU.  As soon as we know, we’ll get the news out to you.  So just a final footnote to reiterate that the club and facilities are closed to all members, players, users and visitors (this includes the playing surfaces).