St Ives Rugby Club have started the installation of floodlights at their Somersham Road base.
The £59,000 project got underway with club official Gary Fleming carrying out preparatory work in recent days.
The actual erection of the floodlights will then be completed once working restrictions have been lifted following the Coronavirus pandemic.
“The floodlights installation was frustrated by the weather for two months,” said Bulls director of rugby, Phil Brown. “Then, as soon as that improved, Covid-19 arrived!
“But Gary has managed to get things moving and everyone is very appreciative of his efforts. It’s a big fillip to our members to see things are in progress for next season.
“We now await the easing of outside work restrictions for the erection of the columns and lights, but we have our fingers crossed this will happen soon.
“We have a celebratory event planned for the end of August which we will finalise and publicise once we know it is likely to go ahead.
“Gary is also putting in some more drainage around the pitch adding to work which was carried out on the second pitch after sponsorship from Sport England.”
The Bulls received £30,000 of funding for the floodlights project from the Mick George Community Fund and a further £20,000 through the Sport England Community Asset Fund.
St Ives’ survival at Midlands Division Two East (South) level has been confirmed after the Rugby Football Union revealed the final tables for a 2019/20 season cut short by the Coronavirus pandemic.
The standings were calculated on a ‘best playing record formula’ which meant promotion and relegation could be maintained.
Huntingdon finished eighth in Midlands Division Three East (South) as they steadied the ship following back-to-back relegations.
But St Neots did go down from that level after failing to record a single victory before the campaign was halted.
TABLES
Midlands Division Two East (South)
Pts
Leighton Buzzard 97.78
Belgrave 89.22
Leicester Forest 81.89
Market Bosworth 71.78
Bugbrooke 68.44
Northampton OS 63.56
Vipers 47.61
Northampton C 42.78
St Ives 32.69
Long Buckby 30.53
Melton Mowbray 23.22
Stewarts & Lloyds 13.60
Midlands Division Three East (South)
Stamford 88.28
Oakham 85.80
Bourne 81.89
Stockwood Park 72.05
Dunstablians 68.75
Spalding 64.78
Rushden & H 46.44
Huntingdon 42.63
Daventry 41.86
Queens 38.89
Northampton BBOB 15.50
St Neots 12.22
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