The remarkable before and after photos as rugby club recovers from flood damage

When Bedwas Rugby Club flooded in February there were fears the club may never recover.

The club’s lounge and toilets were completely ruined by floodwater, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

With events cancelled and income all but dried up as the coronavirus lockdown was enforced, the club turned to volunteers in the local community for help.

Now, four months on, the club has proudly displayed its refurbished facilities and thanked all those who have helped restore it to working order.

Will Rees, a director at the club, told Caerphilly Observer: “Hundreds of volunteer hours have gone into repairing our club and I would like to thank everyone who has helped us clean-up and refurbish the club.

“I would also like to thank the WRU and the many hundreds of individuals and businesses who donated to our fundraising campaign. Their generosity has helped Bedwas RFC make it through one of the hardest years in its long history.

“We now have a fantastic new lounge which will be a great social hub for our members, squads and the local community. People of all ages and backgrounds come to our club to share an enjoyment of sport and we are eager to get back to what we do best, once conditions allow.” 

Earlier this month, Caerphilly Observer reported that community clubs faced an uncertain future with club rugby not expected to return until September at the earliest, and income from events such as weddings and festivals non-existent.

Now that Bedwas Rugby Club is ready for business however, Rees hopes they’ll be be able to open to members and the community soon.

He said: “Our older members have missed out on having opportunities to socialise at the rugby club and our young players have missed out on months of organised sporting activity so I think that it is vital for the physical and mental well-being of the entire community that policymakers make progress on this as soon as possible. 

“Looking to the future, we hope to make some refurbishments in our function room and we have made some great progress with sorting a senior squad for the 2020/21 season when it comes.

“We also hope to radically change our membership offering and introduce a lower gate fee for the new season so we can further build on the community spirit we have nurtured at the club in recent months and attract even more people into our thriving community club.”