Founded in 1874, Coventry Rugby Club is an English rugby union club who play in the RFU Championship, the second tier of the English Rugby Union system .
Located in the heart of the city of Coventry, Butts Park Arena has been home to Coventry Rugby Club since 2004, and undertook a huge transformation in 2019. S&C Slatter were selected to construct a cutting edge artificial sports turf pitch for the club, making Coventry the first team in the RFU Championship to install a synthetic home pitch.
S&C Slatter worked closely with the club to ensure that the chosen surface would be suitable for both first-class Rugby and Football, with Coventry United Football Club also signing a new 10-year agreement to play both their men’s and women’s games at Butts Park Arena.
After undertaking the initial excavation and groundworks to remove the topsoil, pitch drainage was implemented alongside a dynamic stone and macadam base. This was followed by the installation of an in-situ rubber shock pad and FieldTurf XM7 artificial turf. The project was completed with the installation of fencing, floodlighting and sports equipment supplied for both rugby and football.
The pitch was handed over by S&C Slatter on 6th September 2019, ready for the official opening on Saturday 14th September.
As well as being home to Coventry Rugby Club and Coventry United Football club, there has been strong interest in hire of the new artificial turf pitch, with regular bookings coming into the club ahead of its completion from a number of other football and rugby teams in the local community.