Wasps buzz into Kent on hunt for new stadium

By Nicky Godding

26 October 2023

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Wasps Rugby Club, which went into administration last December (following another premiership club Worcester Warriors), is now eyeing up Kent for its new home.

The club said it is actively engaged with Sevenoaks District Council to identify a suitable location and ensure that the development meets both the needs of the club and the broader community, and is looking at the Pedham Place area on the outskirts of Swanley, for a proposed stadium, training ground and hotel.

Its statement added: "Building on the rich 156-year history of Wasps, this move signifies a new chapter in the club's journey, reaffirming its commitment to professional rugby. In a statement on 17 October the club discussed its strategic journey since October 2022. Having faced significant challenges with regulation and funding, the club has persisted with its determination to revive Wasps at the highest possible level."

In the October statement, Chairman and CEO Christopher Holland, said: "You will know our journey through the fit and proper process of the RFU and the difficulties we faced on funding and acceptance to enter the Championship, and our removal from that process.

"At the time I mentioned the apathy and the lack of engagement, and the almost impossible task of securing sustainable funding with the absence of a clear direction of travel, as well as the endemic investor fatigue toward the game.

"But we have persevered, and our steadfast intention remains to return to Rugby at the highest level possible, ideally for the 24/25 season, or if prudent and necessary, the 25/26 season."

He added that the club's focus needed to be on three significant points of failure or success: A competition entity, sustainable finance and a stadium in which to play.

Christopher said: "The cornerstone of our recovery relies on sustainable finance and a robust business plan that avoids a single point of failure. Rugby as an entity does not meet the threshold of financial sustainability without additional complimentary income, which we have planned in detail in our stadium business and development programme."

As the development progresses through its planning stages, Wasps will be actively exploring temporary facilities to underpin its operations in Kent. Whilst determined to establish a base in the southeast of England, the club has also agreed an option of using Worcester Warriors’ Sixways ground for both training and playing purposes, without replacing Worcester Warriors RFC and indeed committed to assisting their return to competitive rugby.

A Wasps spokesperson said: "The journey of Wasps has been one of passion, resilience, and commitment to the game. Our determination to secure a new, sustainable future for the club has never been stronger. By working with Sevenoaks District Council, we hope to build a long-lasting legacy that acknowledges our storied past and charts an ambitious future."

A statement from Sevenoaks District Council said: "Wasps Rugby Football Club has put forward an early proposal for a new multi-use stadium, training ground and a hotel as part of our Local Plan ‘Call for sites’.

"The Local Plan sets out what could be built and where in the next 15 years and the ‘Call for sites’ identifies potential development sites that could be included in our new Local Plan."

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.