High Flying Coventry Rugby Club Going for ‘Gold’
A long-standing friendship, a passion for rugby and shared successes lie at the heart of a new Midlands partnership.
After winning a gold medal for its beer at the SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) Awards, Purity Brewing Co. has been invited to run an innovative pop-up real ale bar at Rugby Championship promotion challengers, Coventry Rugby Club.
Thanks to a friendship formed during their playing careers, former team mates Paul Halsey, now Managing Director of Purity Brewing Co., and Phil Maynard, Director of Rugby, Coventry Rugby Club, have again teamed up to drive the growth of the ambitious Midlands rugby club. With promotion from National League 1 on the horizon and the prospect of an increasing wage bill looming, Coventry Rubgy Club are turning to commercial partners to help secure a prosperous future in the English second tier.
With attendances rising, the brewery has come up with an innovative way for the club to sell more beer. Purity Brewing Co. has installed a pop-up real ale bar, from which tit can serve its award-winning beers Pure Gold and Pure UBU, straight from the cask.
“So far the uptake has been excellent”, says Phil Maynard. “The quality of the Purity beer is helping to attract supporters to the ground an hour or two before the game and means that they have even more reason to stay afterwards. As a rugby club it is vital that we offer an important community function and seeing the club become an increasingly important part of the local community makes us very proud. The bar is a great source of revenue for the club and to ensure we have every chance of success in League 1 and the rugby Championship we need to be smart and offer much more than simply a game of rugby.”
“It is the perfect partnership”, says Paul Halsey. “I have been in rugby for a long time, whether playing or supporting and know unequivocally, that a game of rugby and a good pint of beer go hand in hand. I am delighted that Purity has been able to work with Coventry Rugby Club at a time when the team are playing great rugby and when there are record breaking attendances at the club.”
Purity Brewing Co’s pop-up bar will be installed for all of the clubs remaining home fixtures and will be a key feature of the pre and post-match entertainment for the foreseeable future. Pure Gold is the West Midlands Champion Bitter 2013 and Pure UBU won a medal at the International Beer Challenge Top 50 Beers in the World.
