You can support Penarth Athletic Club by donating to their Crowdfunder page here.

Support has poured in for Penarth Athletic Club after the clubhouse at The Athletic Field on Lavernock Road was destroyed by fire in the early hours of 1st December.

The club was founded 145 years ago and now incorporates Penarth Rugby Football Club, Penarth Cricket Club and Penarth Hockey Club.

The flames, caused by an electrical fault, destroyed much of the trophies and memorabilia on display in the main bar area. The changing rooms and ‘long-room’ suffered smoke damage.

Despite swift fire service action to quell the flames, all memorabilia was destroyed, including a Springbok head presented by the Barbarians after they beat South Africa 6-0 at Cardiff Arms Park in 1961. Penarth RFC and the Barbarians, one of the most famous clubs in rugby, have long had a close association.

The club, which dates back to 1880, said the community was “in a state of shock” following the blaze in the early hours of the morning.

“So many memories have been lost, but thankfully no-one was hurt,” the club said in a statement which thanked firefighters who saved the club’s historic stand.

Also lost was a Wales Under-18 shirt and cap belonging to the late Wales and Penarth player David Hancock. Former police officer David loaned the items to the club before he died from cancer in September 2024. Known as “Hanky” he captained Wales’ youth side against England in April 1978.

In the days and weeks following the blaze, the local community and rugby family have rallied around the historic club.

Welsh Rugby Union community director Geraint John said their first task is to “get rugby back on the ground” with Cardiff Arms Park stepping in to host Saturday’s Division One Cup game against Lampeter.

Offers have also come in on social media for replacement jerseys and photographs.

“We know they had a Springbok head, we will touch base with South Africa to see what they can do, it won’t be the same but when people go to the club in the future they see that history is still there,” said John.

Cardiff coach Corniel van Zyl lives just down the road from Penarth RFC and said he could not believe what had happened.

“It’s so sad because there was so much history in the club and for me personally I always loved to come here and look at the Springbok head,” the interim head coach said.

“It’s a pity it’s all gone but Cardiff will try and support in any way we can. We need to look after each other and I know they’re playing their home game this weekend at the Arm’s Park, hopefully they’ll do it later in the season as well.”

Cardiff and Wales players Mason Grady and Evan Lloyd played for Penarth as juniors and went to the club on their day-off to show support.

“I woke up Monday morning, I saw a video on my phone and thought it can’t be real,” said Lloyd whose Wales Under-20s jersey was among those on display.

“I was just immensely gutted and just thinking about all the times I had in there. As a player, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for all the years I played here.

“I started when I was in year four, so I’ve been there up until I was about 17. It’s just got a load of memories, and it’s really developed me and helped me a lot.”

Grady joined a little later, playing for the under-12s with Cardiff team-mate Lloyd.

“I think club rugby is a massive part of Welsh rugby as well, so it’s gutting what’s happened, but hopefully we can get back to where we were,” Grady said.

“It’s about creating memories as well. It’s not just about the rugby, it’s about creating friends. That clubhouse made loads of friends, so we’ve got many fond memories there.

“One of the best parts of my rugby experiences was here at Penarth.”

A ‘Rebuild Penarth Athletic Club’ Crowdfunder page has been set up, with over £17,000 of a £25,000 goal raised in less than a week at the time of writing.

Gareth Hubback and David Carter, co-chairs of the club, released a statement a day after the fire, thanking the members of the local rugby community for their support.

“Following yesterday’s devastating events at Penarth Athletic Club, senior members from all sections have been back on site today to begin planning the next steps,” the club states.

“The main room, which suffered the most significant damage, will be made safe and cleaned by the weekend. The Long Room, which fortunately only experienced smoke damage, is currently undergoing a deep clean.

“Due to the extent of the damage and the specialist work required, professional contractors are needed. However, we are incredibly grateful for the many offers of help from the community.

“We are very thankful for the support from the WRU and Cricket Wales, who are supplying transport and portable toilets to help make this possible.

“The club truly appreciates all the offers of support for the club, our staff, and our members. We will be reaching out as soon as we have a clearer route forward.”

You can support Penarth Athletic Club’s fundraising efforts by donating to their Crowdfunder page here.

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