L-R Matthew Barker, 1st XV Captain Grant Hancox and Richard Carr
Published: August 11, 2024 | Updated: 11th August 2024
Bournemouth Rugby Club, with its 131-year history, is gearing up for a bold new chapter following its recent acquisition by a trio of local businessmen.
The club, now under the ownership of Matthew Barker, Richard Carr, and Drew Mellor, is set to embark on an ambitious journey to elevate its presence both on and off the pitch. This move secures the future of the club, ensuring it continues to serve as a cornerstone of the Bournemouth community while nurturing the next generation of rugby talent.
Simon Carkeet, Chairman of Bournemouth Rugby Club, expressed his gratitude towards the consortium: “We are very grateful to Matthew, Drew, and Richard for their incredible generosity and support. Their offer to underwrite the costs of Bournemouth Rugby means that we can plan a strong and exciting future, not just for the existing senior players, both Men’s and Women’s, but for all sections of the club; wheelchair rugby, Touch, as well as for the hundreds of children we currently have in our junior ranks and for generations to come.”
The businessmen, all with deep connections to the club—be it as sponsors, supporters, or former players—bring a wealth of experience and a commitment to long-term success. One of the central goals of the new ownership is to deepen the club’s ties with the local community. The consortium envisions that their ambitious plans will bring widespread benefits to the town.
Matthew Barker highlighted the consortium’s vision: “With the incredible support of Drew Mellor and Richard Carr, we plan to build a bright new future that the whole town can be proud of. We want to become intrinsic in the local communities we operate in, through our community programmes in schools, through our youth ranks membership swelling, and success for our senior sides within the rugby pyramid.”
Further details about the club’s strategic plans are expected to be revealed in the coming months, with considerable interest already being shown by potential investors keen to contribute to the club’s promising future.
