FRANCESCA VELLA

The rugby association has long been promised a plot of land to build a national rugby stadium, and now that the sport has become one of the most successful on the island, the Malta Rugby Football Union (MRFU) is pushing the government to deliver on its promise.

More than 2,000 people have joined the association’s Facebook cause “Give Malta a Rugby Stadium”, created less than a month ago.

The parliamentary secretariat said the government is bound by its electoral programme to provide a site to be used as a rugby pitch.

The parliamentary secretariat added: “Needless to say, a government’s electoral commitment is expected to be fulfilled within the five year term”.

Last year however, the MRFU ended up forfeiting a £50,000 capital grant from the International Rugby Board (IRB) to build a national rugby stadium, after government promises over the last 20 years failed to materialise. The IRB withdrew the grant after holding it open for about three years.

The MRFU feels rugby is very much the “Cinderella” of all sports in Malta. It is growing in popularity, has a good following and the highest rankings among Maltese team sports.

Next season, there are expected to be seven men’s teams, three ladies’ teams, along with six youth teams, four national sides and a veterans’ team. But only one changing room is available in Marsa.

The only facilities that are currently available for league games and for training are two pitches that the Malta Sports Council (KMS) has made available to the rugby association at subsidised rates.

The government also offered the association pitch no. 5 (essentially a wasteland) free of charge and KMS was ready to fork out the costs for the turf seeds.

The MRFU said about e200,000 would be required to level and drain the pitch, but the association would still have no title to the land.

As for international games, the MRFU has no choice but to rent the Pace Grasso football stadium in Corradino, spending about e9,000 a year, and therefore running the events at a big loss.

Gail Debono, the association’s treasurer, said that should the government grant the MRFU lease of land for the construction of a national stadium, funds would then be generated to maintain the facility, thus ensuring that the growth and safety of the sport is maintained.

Ms Debono said: “The government needs to decide whether it really wants to help rugby grow as it has done with so many sports, including football and skateboarding.

“We need to build facilities, including a gym, a lecture room and stands to organise international games. We often have to turn away visiting/touring teams due to the lack of facilities.”

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Two government offers unacceptable to rugby association

The parliamentary secretariat made two offers to the Malta Rugby Football Union (MRFU) over the past year. The first was for the association to enter into a partnership agreement with Santa Lucija football club to develop an existing pitch in Santa Lucija. The second offer was to develop the grounds within the Sir Adrian Dingli School in Pembroke.

MRFU treasurer Gail Debono explained that the offers were not acceptable, because the association would be required to invest large sums of money, while having limited use of the facilities and no real title to the land.

Besides, the MRFU said that having a bar and facilities for international games, or touring sides (which would generate major income for sports tourism) would be out of the question if the rugby association had to share a pitch with a school or a football club.

Those of us who have been to international rugby games at Corradino know only too well that the beer adds to the fun, and generally speaking people do not overdo it.

The parliamentary secretariat said: “The MRFU refused the site at Sir Adrian Dingli School because they insisted that alcohol consumption by their spectators is a major source of income for the administration of their sport. Of course the government is bound not to accept that”.

The parliamentary secretariat added that a number of football clubs already benefit from the use of a number of sports facilities in various state schools.

“Of course they are bound to abide by a number of rules and regulations, including a ban on alcohol and smoking.”

The Malta Sports Council (KMS) is currently working on a master plan for the Marsa Sports facilities. The government said this would take into consideration the needs of local sports in a holistic manner.

“It (the master plan) is intended to see to the particular sports associations’ needs, but within a wider national context.”