Dorking RFC Celebrates Centenary with BLK BOX
Formed in 1921, Dorking Rugby Club is a leading Surrey Amateur Rugby Club. With 5 Senior Teams and a thriving youth and mini section of over 600 children made up of Junior (U18-U12), Kids First (U11-U5) & Girls (U11-U18), they are a club for the whole community.
Years of dedication and hard work on and off the pitch have been rewarded by unprecedented levels of success for Dorking Rugby Football Club in recent seasons. The heroic efforts of their 1st XV, combined with a strong support team of coaches, physios, supporters and sponsors, DRFC reached their highest ever league position in National League 2 South debut, finishing the 2014-2015 season in 4th position.
Over the years, Dorking RFC have always maintained a player and member focused approach. It was only fitting that they opened their brand new rehabilitation centre and gym, 100 years after playing their first rugby match in 1921 - a great way to celebrate their centenary. The new facility was proudly opened by former Dorking RFC Player, turned England and British and Irish Lions rugby player, George Kruis.
The majority of the new facility was paid for by the monumental fundraising efforts from the clubs members. After years of planning and hosting events to raise money, the new gym opened on 1st June and from seeing the finished facility, it’s obvious that their hard work has paid off. Previously, the club had a pocket-sized gym with no windows, a few second hand gym racks, old rickety dumbbells and a broken treadmill.
Their new facility is now a million miles from what it once was. The gym was the final part of a large scale £600,000 renovation which also included new changing rooms, clinic rooms, serving areas for the bar, coffee areas and a new spectator balcony.
Throughout the facility design process, it was important that the club colours were incorporated. The 2 Goliath Half Racks have been manufactured in the team colours with brand plates, each laser cut with the teams hashtag '#WACOMB' to make their entire set up unique. Competition Plates have been branded with their team name alongside custom inlaid wooden platforms.
In terms of gym design, the club knew roughly what they wanted but the BLK BOX Gym Designer software was a huge help in selecting equipment that fitted within the space. BLK BOX were chosen to kit out this gym due to the large number of accessories we can offer, which makes a huge difference in training athletes. With 130sq meters to play with, there is an 18m track running centrally though the facility, and to keep their facility clutter free, a range of wall mounted options were used including Wall Mounted Bumper Plate Storage, Wall Mounted Barbell Hangers, Foam Roller Storage, Sandbag Storage and a 3 Tier Basecamp for Storage of Medicine Balls, Wall Balls, Slam Balls and more.
"BLK BOX did a great job in turning our idea into a reality. The customer service throughout has been excellent and they kept us informed at all times. Considering all of this was installed during the latter part of the pandemic right after Brexit, it is pretty phenomenal we still managed to deliver the project on time.
We are looking forward to using the facility to its full capacity as the gym is not just for Rugby performance, it’s for all members looking to stay active" - Armand Roux, Director of Rugby
We wish Dorking RFC the best of luck for the season ahead and hope their new facility equips them to climb to the top of their league.