London Nigerian club gets temporary reprieve

By Ifeanyi Ibeh

London Nigerian Rugby Club has been granted a stay of execution after the playing community rallied together to raise £14,000 in a fortnight towards securing the club’s home ground.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council had given the club until 21 July to raise the £19,000 it was owed or else be evicted from their home at the Linford Christie Stadium, Du Cane Road. Losing the clubhouse - which also hosts a number of events for the local community and Nigerians in London and the Diaspora - would have been a massive blow for the club and would likely have led to its closure. So the ‘Playas’ put out a desperate plea to its current members, Old Boys network and local community, for help in raising the cash.

Five thousand to go

In just two weeks, £14,000 has been raised and the council has agreed to grant the club an extension until 7 August to secure its place at the clubhouse by coming up with the remaining £5,000. LNRFC - which celebrates its 20th anniversary next year - was a phenomenon when it started, securing eight league promotions in its first decade of existence. But the club has struggled in recent years both on and off the pitch, with the credit crunch taking its toll. A more secure future will revitalise the club and the committee has pledged to restart its popular Mini & Youth rugby programme in the 2010-11 season, training up the local community’s would-be Johnny Wilkinsons. The programme saw players offer weekly training sessions for youngsters in the borough while putting out seven teams in the U12, U13, U15 and U18 age groups, and also provided coaches to local schools during term-time.

Meeting the target

Club CEO Osahon Omokhodion said: “We are extremely grateful to all those who dug deep to raise this cash in such a short period of time. It shows that the club is still alive and well and vital to the local community. I also want to thank Hammersmith & Fulham Council for their flexibility, willingness to co-operate and desire to see this community club succeed. We will be working closely with them to make LNRFC the best it can be, and inspire the next generation of Playas. There is still however £5,000 yet to raise and myself and my committee will continue to do everything we can to ensure this target is reached by 7 August.”