GRIFFINS RUGBY CLUB TAKES THE NEXT STEP IN ITS DEVELOPMENT
The Griffins Rugby Club will be moving to Allen, TX for the remainder of the 2012/13 Season, taking on Houston United Rugby at Celebration Park this Saturday, February 23 at 2 p.m. The organization, now operated by the Griffins Management Group, LLC (GMG) is in discussions with the City of Allen regarding a possible public/private partnership that will see Allen, TX become the club’s new home. Part of these discussions include the construction of a new multipurpose sports and entertainment facility that aims to not only support the growth of rugby, but add to the city’s thriving sports tourism industry by hosting national tournaments in a variety of amateur and semi-professional sports. The timeframe and location of the facility have not yet been announced. “Frisco has been a fantastic home to us over the last two and a half years and I’d like to sincerely thank the city for its support.” Said Griffins Management Group CEO, Phil Camm, “In particular, Mayor Maso and local business leaders like Kevin Hodes, Bernard Nussbaumer and those at Baylor Medical have been instrumental to our growth. The time has come however, for us to take the next step and the City of Allen is the best place for us to do that.”
The Griffins Rugby Club was formed in 2008 and in its four and a half year history, has made huge strides toward its goal of introducing professional rugby to Texas while working to greatly improve the game at the amateur level. Last season, the club expanded to include a second team, competing in the Texas Rugby Union’s Division 3 and works hard to encourage athletes to give rugby a try, regardless of experience. The club’s First XV team is sitting at the top of Texas Division 2, currently undefeated and ready for promotion to the top division. A win this Saturday against Houston will make a successful season all but certain.
There have also been remarkable strides off the field. Playing the last three seasons at the FC Dallas complex, the Griffins have enjoyed some of the largest crowds in Texas club rugby history and have opened up the sport to thousands of new fans. Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Texas as a whole, has thriving rugby clubs throughout, many of which have been around since the early 70’s and have done a fantastic job building the rugby culture in the region. As a relative newcomer to the scene, the Griffins have simply taken a new professional approach to the business of rugby and raised it to a new level.
For more information about the Griffins, including partnership and sponsorship opportunities and how new players can join the club go to www.griffinsrugby.com
Griffins Rugby Club
c/o City of Allen Parks and Recreation
301 Century Parkway
Allen, Texas 75013
www.griffinsrugby.com