RUGBY.

Nestling in the shadow of Twickenham, and only three miles down the A316 from some of the most glamorous league sides in the country, Staines RUFC is a club determined to prove rugby union can be a profitable business.

Currently their players are only paid win bonuses and a year's wage bill is only the equivalent of that for one least well-paid player at Harlequins or Richmond - but when the time comes to pay full-time wages the club will not live above its means.

A mission statement developed by commercial director Allen Bool has six points, the first two of which relate to "a sound financial basis" and a "business-like and efficient management structure".

He said when he came to Staines, having been offered the job after writing a "scathing" report on the club's financial situation, a radical change in the club's approach to the business of running a rugby side was needed if it was to fulfil its potential.

"What has happened in the past two or three years has been quite dramatic," he said, "it was a typical town rugby club, heavily geared to rugby activities.

"What I enjoy immensely about what I do is developing the relationship with businesses and proving to the board or the individual that the return on their investment is there."

On the rugby front promotion to a national league is paramount with the better quality opposition and home and away fixtures offering members' business partners more for their money.

The facilities, too, are an asset which the club is keen to cash in on: the function room does not have a Saturday free until next March. The club plans to install an all-weather pitch, a new grandstand and buy four more acres of land for extra pitches.

On August Bank Holiday the club will be turned into a massive fairground for a family day for the employees of Gillette, based just down the road, and negotiations are under way to use the facilities on the other two days, with British Gas, RAC and Grand Metropolitan expressing an interest.

International touring sides, the London Broncos, Harlequins and the England squad and under 21s have all used the ground to train on, taking advantage of the proximity to Heathrow and rugby HQ.

"As the club is growing in profile, business connections are growing and we are working to build up a rapport with the community, both the business community and the community as a whole, supported by our youth development officer going into local schools," explained Mr Bool.

The first team has been promoted four times in the past five years and this year the club is sweating on a decision, due in May, from the men who run the game from fortress Twickers about the league structure for next season.

If it goes their way they will be promoted again, to Jewson National League 2, having finished second in London Division One. For the man who has to plan the club's financial future this is no way to run a fully professional sport with a decision being made nine months into a season.

Winners of the Middlesex Cup for the past three years and with every chance of going all the way this year having just beaten London New Zealand 7-64 and in a previous round notching up 104 points before the game against the Hon. Artillery Company was ended with 23 minutes still left to play, Mr Bool says the club has outgrown Middlesex.

"We need to play better teams on a regular basis in home and away fixtures," he said, "and it is only in the National League that we can have that."

He also believes a repeat of this year's unstructured season in which six England home internationals have punched gaping holes into the fixture list must be avoided next year.

The club does some good business when England play at home offering corporate hospitality a short coach ride from the ground but they would rather be playing the game not wanting to be seen as just a convenient car park with a bar for rugby fans heading to Twickenham.

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