Chinnor build towards future

From the archive, first published Saturday 9th Nov 2002.

It may not have been officially opened yet, but Chinnor RFC's new £220,000 extension to their clubhouse is already bringing dividends.

While the extension provides a much-needed enlarging of their changing facilities and a weights room, it is the comfortable conference and function room upstairs that will help finance the ambitious club as they bid to make steps up the rugby ladder.

Chinnor have always been a well-run club off the field, so they are unlikely suffer the fate of Banbury, who are still feeling the effects of a failure to keep control of their finances.

The club have a good relatioinship with the business community in Thame, even though the club does not bear the town's name.

"The name's not an issue at the moment," said former club chairman Kevin Robinson, who a few years ago proposed that they be called Thame, to howls of protest from some members.

"However, if a major sponsor came in with a long-term deal and insisted on us changing our name, then we'd have to consider it," he said.