Case Study: London Irish Hazelwood Training Facility, Sunbury

London Irish RFC or ‘The Wild Geese’ (club nickname) are an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, formed in 1898 by a group of Irishmen with a passion for rugby. The forefathers were said to be a unique group of powerful personalities consisting of politicians, lawyers and businessmen who all provided a welcoming home and meeting place for all Irish people, regardless of their beliefs.

In 2009 London Irish announced plans to demolish their well-known ‘Avenue’ stadium and training facilities (home to the club since 1931) replacing the area with 400 houses, all the while relocating their offices and training facilities to the nearby Hazelwood Golf Centre. What was then a 9-hole golf course has now been replaced by a 57-acre elite state-of-the-art training complex thought to cost in the region of 10-11 million pounds. London Irish’s Hazelwood training base will be the home of both Fiji and Wales’ national teams at the upcoming 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Currently plying their trade in the Aviva premiership, London Irish approached Café Reality before opening their plush new training facilities. Project Co-ordinator Nicola and the club wanted to create an inviting modern hospitality suite which had to not only look aesthetically pleasing but provide the client with contract-approved furniture to use throughout.

Nicola was presented with a wide choice of bistro sets on Cafe Reality and eventually decided upon the Marland dining set to feature within the bar area. The Marland tables are constructed with a stylish stainless steel frame, complimented by a 25mm solid beech table top stained to a walnut finish. The dining chairs are constructed from a solid beech frame polished in walnut, upholstered in a mocha or ivory Crib 5 fire retardant faux leather.

The Chester Bar Height dining sets were selected for the area overlooking the first team's training pitches and mirrored the specifications of the Marland sets (above) continuing with the contemporary look and style.

Our client wanted to create a comfortable seating area which could be used for informal meetings and gatherings. We were able to create this by supplying four classic-style Portsmouth leather sofas and two coffee tables, again echoing the specifications and features within the Marland and Chester range.

Upon meeting with bar manager Vanessa, it was clear she and the staff at London Irish were pleased with the commercial hospitality suite that had been created. We hope to work with London Irish on any future projects and would like to wish them all the best for the upcoming Rugby World Cup 2015!

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