NEW floodlights will the illuminate the pitches for players at Calne Rugby Club after the Hills Group awarded a £1,411 grant.

The six rechargeable floodlights will be funded through the Landfills Communities Fund, administered for Hills by Community First.

Club chairman Chris Austin said: "We are very grateful to Hills for helping us purchase our fantastic new floodlights. Training in the darker months was challenging as the previous lighting was so poor and as a result we have seen a massive decline in the number of people attending training.

"During the summer months, we have an influx of players at the club and we get about 30-40 people playing touch rugby but as soon as the nights get darker the numbers reduce to as low as six or seven. Obviously there is a limit on what you can do with those numbers.

"Hills are obviously in the area and they want to help out the community, so we thought, why not? With more lighting, we will be able to open up a much larger part of the pitch for training and be able to store the lights inside."

The club, which will be paying for the remaining 30 per cent of the floodlight cost, hopes to retain its summer players so that it can climb the tables next season. Dorset and Wiltshire RFU has also announced that it will be making a donation to the club, which it aims to spend on improving equipment.

He added: "It is just about getting people down to the club and enjoying rugby."

Mike Webster, group director Hills Waste Solutions, said: “Sporting clubs are a great way for people to get together to socialise and exercise. The floodlights will enable the Calne community to use the facilities to their full extent and will benefit the rugby in the long term by encouraging more people to get involved with the club.”

The order for the lights will be completed in a few weeks.