Kent gets closer to controversial 28,000 Wasps Rugby Stadium

KentOnline / KMTV

Whilst experts say a first professional side in Kent is long overdue, those against the proposal say the nearby villages simply can't cope with the demand it would bring on local traffic.  Bartholomew Hall reports...

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00:00When Wasps Rugby Club went into administration in 2022 and were relegated from Rugby Union's top

00:05flight, the thought of the Midlands team relocating to a new stadium here in Kent

00:10was nothing short of a pipe dream. But fast forward two years and now looking for a complete

00:15resurgence, the club has announced today it's bought land and is one step closer to building

00:20a 28,000 seater stadium, becoming the county's first professional rugby side.

00:25The club's disappeared, it's trying to come back,

00:29trying to come back in the championship. You know Sevenoaks have been very welcoming to us

00:33and Kent, so we just felt this was the best place. It's got a great rugby heritage down

00:39there. There's a lot of clubs. Whilst Wasps haven't announced where they've acquired land

00:43in Kent, the club had previously asked Sevenoaks Council to include an allocation for a stadium

00:48at one of two locations near Swanley. But some residents, particularly those against

00:52the proposed 2,500 home garden village on Pedham Place, have been protesting since the plans were

00:58first put forward, saying there simply isn't enough space in the nearby villages to take

01:02so much demand. I think it would be fantastic to have Wasps, a prestigious club in Kent,

01:07without a doubt it would be fantastic to have them, just very concerned about the location

01:12and it's simply because of traffic flow, managing that on a sports weekend. Their

01:18average gates are about 8,500, so they're going to have to drive revenue some other

01:22way and we suspect that might be through using the stadium for other purposes, in which case

01:29we're going to end up with traffic much more than just every other weekend.

01:33Joe Robinson is editor at Rugby World magazine and also plays for Swanley RFC as a fly half.

01:39He says a stadium will have the power to transform Kent's sporting landscape.

01:43It should have happened 15, 20 years ago. London Wasps, as they were known back then, are one of

01:49the biggest clubs in professional rugby. It's akin to Arsenal or Chelsea going bust. I think what I

01:56would say from a sporting perspective is that I've seen new stadiums be developed in areas,

02:01so naturally the net positive that that can have on an area and a town, specifically a town like

02:07Swanley, it can really help a society and really help sort of younger people, specifically getting

02:13into sport, which we know can, you know, improve mental health, improve fitness, improve a lot of

02:18things around someone's life. Wasps rugby has applied to enter the second tier of rugby union

02:23for the 25 to 26 season, but as well as viability on the pitch, the question now is if local

02:29resistance will prove an immovable opponent off it. Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.

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