Whilst experts say a first professional side in Kent is long overdue, those against the proposal say the nearby villages simply can't cope with the demand it would bring on local traffic.
Bartholomew Hall reports...
Bartholomew Hall reports...
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00When Wasps Rugby Club went into administration in 2022 and were relegated from Rugby Union's top
00:05flight, the thought of the Midlands team relocating to a new stadium here in Kent
00:10was nothing short of a pipe dream. But fast forward two years and now looking for a complete
00:15resurgence, the club has announced today it's bought land and is one step closer to building
00:20a 28,000 seater stadium, becoming the county's first professional rugby side.
00:25The club's disappeared, it's trying to come back,
00:29trying to come back in the championship. You know Sevenoaks have been very welcoming to us
00:33and Kent, so we just felt this was the best place. It's got a great rugby heritage down
00:39there. There's a lot of clubs. Whilst Wasps haven't announced where they've acquired land
00:43in Kent, the club had previously asked Sevenoaks Council to include an allocation for a stadium
00:48at one of two locations near Swanley. But some residents, particularly those against
00:52the proposed 2,500 home garden village on Pedham Place, have been protesting since the plans were
00:58first put forward, saying there simply isn't enough space in the nearby villages to take
01:02so much demand. I think it would be fantastic to have Wasps, a prestigious club in Kent,
01:07without a doubt it would be fantastic to have them, just very concerned about the location
01:12and it's simply because of traffic flow, managing that on a sports weekend. Their
01:18average gates are about 8,500, so they're going to have to drive revenue some other
01:22way and we suspect that might be through using the stadium for other purposes, in which case
01:29we're going to end up with traffic much more than just every other weekend.
01:33Joe Robinson is editor at Rugby World magazine and also plays for Swanley RFC as a fly half.
01:39He says a stadium will have the power to transform Kent's sporting landscape.
01:43It should have happened 15, 20 years ago. London Wasps, as they were known back then, are one of
01:49the biggest clubs in professional rugby. It's akin to Arsenal or Chelsea going bust. I think what I
01:56would say from a sporting perspective is that I've seen new stadiums be developed in areas,
02:01so naturally the net positive that that can have on an area and a town, specifically a town like
02:07Swanley, it can really help a society and really help sort of younger people, specifically getting
02:13into sport, which we know can, you know, improve mental health, improve fitness, improve a lot of
02:18things around someone's life. Wasps rugby has applied to enter the second tier of rugby union
02:23for the 25 to 26 season, but as well as viability on the pitch, the question now is if local
02:29resistance will prove an immovable opponent off it. Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.