Surrey Sports Park to become training base for Quins

Tuesday 16 March 2010

The multi-million pound Surrey Sports Park, which is owned by the University of Surrey, is due to open on Monday 19 April 2010 and will be one of the premier training facilities ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.

The agreement with Harlequins will give the Premiership club access to all of the new Surrey Sports Park’s facilities as well as use of two training pitches. It extends a long standing partnership with Harlequins which has seen a number of high profile players benefit from leading technical advice.

Harlequins will also become an integral part of the University’s wider plans to develop its sporting credentials on a number of levels, including knowledge sharing with the University of Surrey’s world-renowned research departments.

Surrey Sports Park, Chief Executive, Jason Harborow, said: “It is our ambition to work with some of the world’s greatest athletes, teams and brands at the Surrey Sports Park and Harlequins certainly epitomises this. Having finished in the top four of the Premiership last season, they are a club with huge ambitions. The facilities at the Surrey Sports Park will be a major boost to their preparations and their chances of acquiring silverware in the future.”

The agreement with Harlequins will see the Surrey Sports Park brand included on the playing kit by the 2011/12 season and on all pre-match and training kit with immediate effect, whilst the University’s own rugby team will benefit from regular training sessions lead by members of the Harlequins squad.

Harlequins, Chief Executive. Mark Evans, said: “We are delighted to have entered a long term partnership to secure the world class facilities at Surrey Sports Park. As one of the most well-recognised rugby brands in the world, it is our priority to work with the best brands and organisations, and this has been key to building a relationship with a premier sports facility like Surrey Sports Park. We are excited to have found a training base of this calibre and we look forward to a long and successful relationship.”

Harlequins stars, including the likes of England players Nick Easter and Danny Care, will be able to benefit from the Surrey Sports Park’s state-of-the-art facilities including a 50 metre swimming pool, three multi-purpose sports halls, eight outdoor floodlit tennis courts, two floodlit artificial grass pitches and a 120-station health and fitness suite.

The agreement underlines Surrey Sports Park’s growing prominence in the rugby world with the facility also preparing to host the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup (WRWC) in August and September later this year.

The Surrey Sports Park has already been registered as a suitable training venue for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 but as well as catering for elite athletes it will also provide the very best sporting facilities for anyone interested in sport and fitness.

Media Enquiries

Peter La, Press Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: +44 (0)1483 689191, or Email mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk