A groundbreaking ceremony has been held for Newport High School’s new 3G pitch, which will be used by learners and the community.
Councillor Kate Thomas, the city’s mayor, was in charge of the spade for the first dig, assisted by the head boy and head girl.
Watching on were council leader Councillor Dimitiri Batrouni; Councillor Deb Davies, Cabinet member for education and deputy leader; head teacher Gill Lee and Rob Sidoli, the former Welsh international who is now head of the school’s rugby academy.
They also watched a display of skills by present members of the academy, which is one of only 16 in Wales.
Gill Lee thanked Welsh Government and Sport Wales, which jointly funded the new pitch, as well as the Welsh Rugby Union and Newport City Council for supporting the project, which she described as big step forward for the school and the wider community.
She said:
“Sport is incredibly important for the health and wellbeing of all our students and the new facility will ensure our already successful rugby development can go from strength to strength.”
As well as developing young players, some of whom have represented their country at the very top level, those going through the academy have achieved a range of qualifications.
Rob Sidoli added:
“I believe this high-quality pitch will not only create more opportunities for our community but also inspire future generations to engage with sport and strive to achieve.
“The support from the council for the development of our 3G has been wonderful and will serve as a fantastic sporting facility for the community of Newport High to enjoy.”
Councillor Batrouni said:
“The new pitch will benefit the young players in the academy and in local teams. Participation in sport is very important for young people for several reasons including helping them realise the benefits of being healthy and fit, learning how to be part of a team and developing new skills. These will be skills they can take with them through the rest of their lives.”
Councillor Davies thanked all those who had worked together to make the new pitch possible.
“Teamwork is vital to make projects like these become a reality and that is a great lesson for all those who will be enjoying the new pitch when it is completed.”
