Coventry Rugby looks to city centre pop-up in move to attract more local support...

With no game at the weekend, news concerning Coventry Rugby is currently in short supply.

So, in an effort to fill the void, I thought I'd post on a new off-the-pitch initiative that looks set to become a major focus for the club in the weeks and months ahead.

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After lengthy behind-the-scenes consultations with city council representatives which first began well over a year ago, Coventry Rugby's plans to open a cafe and community centre in the Lower Precinct area of the city are a step closer to becoming a reality after approval was granted at a recent meeting of the council's local planning committee.

With attendances at the Butts Park Arena increasing year-on-year as the club continues its long-term journey towards Premiership rugby, the hope is that by opening a themed cafe in the heart of the city centre, Coventry Rugby will be able to coax 100s of new supporters over to the BPA by doing no more than offering them a freshly brewed coffee and a slice of home-made cake.

It's a remarkably simply concept and as initiatives go it's well worth a punt, especially as I understand Coventry Council is providing a series of financial incentives. Additional interest has also been expressed from a number of Coventry-based businesses keen to benefit from the club's increasing marketability both locally and nationally after two very successful seasons and with the promise of even better times to come.

With a current working title of 'Roll 'n More', Coventry Rugby is planning to offer a range of daytime food and drink options 'in an environment that reflects the history, traditions and current community-based vison of the rugby club, with many of the refreshments on offer incorporating a Coventry Rugby-based theme'.

Coventry Council appears very keen to support the club in its desire to widen its potential audience and initially offered to help the club purchase 'The Hamptons', previously The Butts Retreat, situated opposite the BPA.

However, the former pub/Indian restaurant was deemed to be too far away from the city centre to generate the kind of footfall the club is intent on achieving, as well as being too costly to refurbish given its current state of disrepair.

Whilst declining the original offer, the club has continued to work closely with the Council to find a suitable alternative. Premises currently being considered are all in an area of the city centre that has upwards of 200,000 visitors a week, making the decision to move the cafe a little further away from the club an eminently sensible one.

The Hamptons, an early consideration for the first 'Rolls 'n More'cafe

Flo Pailor, working as a 'pro bono' legal adviser for Coventry Rugby, confirmed that the Council has since offered a number of empty shops/retail properties in or near the city centre as temporary accommodation until development of the City Centre South project is complete and a permanent home can be found.

Those with long memories will recall that it was Flo Pailor who was involved in the negotiation of the planned sale of Ikea furnishings to Coventry Rugby after the local stored closed several years ago, as first reported in this blog.

The scoops just keep on coming...

As some will be aware, Flo is a close relative of the former club favourite, Sam Pailor.

Coventry Rugby intends to use its proposed city centre hub to further develop its links with the local community and I understand there are plans in its latest bid to include several schemes aimed at supporting disadvantaged groups within the city.

These include an appropriately named 'Use It or Lose It' second-hand clothing programme. The idea here is that all the club's sports' kit that is superseded by a newer version or a change in kit sponsor (or even kit donated by any other local clubs), will be made available, free of charge, to those most in need.

The club is hoping to involve Coventry City FC in the scheme, too and is apparently expecting to receive a fair few Wasps' jerseys from those fans who feel they've been abandoned by the club's proposed move to the south east.

In addition, individual supporters will also be encouraged to bring in their children's unwanted sports kit which can then be sent to local schools for appropriate redistribution.

Once the club has moved into more permanent premises, it plans to sell its own club kit there as well, with the club shop at the ground still open on match days.

However, as the name implies, the main emphasis of 'Roll 'n More' will be the sale of food and drink in a relaxed and informal atmosphere; in effect, a drop in (or should that be 'drop out'?) cafe for visitors to Coventry's central shopping/business area.

The club is presently working hard to develop a menu that reflects its history, both past and present. Working closely with Penelope Cox, the Michelin-starred local chef and media celebrity, the club has already decided on its signature dish, Duck/ham Pie, in homage to arguably Coventry Rugby's greatest player in its entire 150-year history, the late, great David Duckham.

I was fortunate enough to speak to Ms Cox earlier in the week, or Poppy as she prefers to be known, and she confirmed that there are also plans afoot to market the club's own locally sourced bottled water under the name Pellegrini, as well as a healthy low-fat spread called Butteridge Gold.

In addition, a range of Coventry Rugby knives, forks and spoons in Cov colours will be on sale under the rather catchy brand name of 'Hutlery'.

The club is also planning to introduce its own loyalty scheme and in keeping with the rugby theme, it was originally going to be called The Advantage Card - that was until the club twigged that Boots already had the monopoly on that. It's still hoping to offer a money saving plan, although it has yet to decide upon a suitable name.

One interesting suggestion is 'The 50-22 option' whereby every 50 pounds spent qualifies you for a 22% reduction off your next purchase.

Nice.

And there's more! The club is also working with a local chocolatier to create its own brand of chocolates - 'Coundon Confectioneries' - featuring a range of hard or soft centres depending whether you favour the forwards or the backs. Selection boxes will also include a number of fruit-flavoured jellies named after previous head coaches, chairmen or past players. Some will be sweet, others sour, although as yet the club has refused to identify those that might leave a slightly bitter taste in the mouth.

Might give be inclined to give the green ones a miss, then...

Decorated throughout in a blue and white decor, there will be several large tv screens permanently showing past Cov games, with daily opportunities to meet current and ex-players over a hot drink and a slice of Lane cake. (For those not familiar with the USA delicacy, Lane cake is bourbon-laced with a fruit and nut filling - apparently, it's the state dish of Alabama, no less).

That said, hot, buttered 'scrumpets' would be tempting, too, finished off with a slice of artic neck roll, obviously.

If Cov is to widen its audience, diversification of this nature might be the way forward. With plans for the cafe to open its temporary premises in readiness for the start of the 2024/25 season, there's still much to be done, but where there's a will (and there's certainly no shortage of Wills in the club right now), there's always a way.

So look out for 'Roll 'n More' - it could be appearing somewhere near you shortly.

Remember the name:

Roll 'n More - the Home of Prop(er) Food...