West Hartlepool aim to tap in to town's talent after sponsorship deal with Anglian Water

West Hartlepool Rugby Football Club have struck a corporate sponsorship deal with Anglian Water

Anglian, which has supplied the town with drinking water since 1997, recognised its shared values and purpose with West and is sponsoring its new building, pitch perimeter and a selection of first-team games.

Wendy Reed, Anglian Water’s billing customer care centre manager in Hartlepool, said: “Water is our business, but we always strive to go the extra mile for the communities we serve and that is why we are very proud to support West and the role it plays in the health and wellbeing of the wider community.

“Despite being a club run by volunteers, they have continued to operate as the heart of the community during testing times, acting as more than just a rugby club, and that community-driven focus is what makes them a great fit alongside our purpose to bring environmental and social prosperity to the region.”

Club secretary Dave Picken said: “Anglian’s support comes at a very important time for the club and is very welcome.

"In recent years we have invested in our facilities to provide rugby for every age group from our Little Deers who start from the age of two up to our walking rugby players, some of whom are in the seventies.

“During the Covid lockdown we have also opened our new artificial grass pitches for football, touch rugby and other activities.”

West are one of the leading rugby clubs in the North East with a history stretching back to 1881.

In recent years the club have established a new base at Brinkburn where it provides competitive rugby for every age group – from five-year-olds to the senior first team.

The new clubhouse is a popular venue for weddings, christenings, seminars and meetings and the new artificial grass pitch offers space for up to eight-a-side floodlit football.

Anglian Water, through increased engagement with the community, hope to encourage customers to save water wherever possible by installing water meters and implementing easy changes like shorter showers or only using the washing machine during a full load.