CONCERNED Bromsgrove Rugby Club has launched a fund raising appeal to help in the fight for their survival during the Coronavirus outbreak.

The Finstall Park club have already been hit hard financially after being forced to close while the Coronavirus pandemic persists.

To make matters worse, the club expect to be kept closed for at least another three months, which means they will miss out on several money spinning events.

Head Coach Dan Protherough, who is one of the organisors of the appeal admitted: "The priority is to survive so that we can commence rugby as and when next season."

But already three of the club's lucrative summer marquee events have fallen victims to Coronavirus with CAMRA cancelling their annual beer festival while the Summer Ball and Sportsman's Lunch have both been postponed.

Consequently, Bromsgrove have lost money which the club has come to depend upon in order to fund outgoing costs.

Although there is some measure of government and RFU support, which they could be able to tap into, it may not be anywhere near sufficient to cover the club's costs.

As a result, the club have set up a'Go Fund Me' site which raised over £2,500 within six hours of being launched.

The figure has now risen to well over £3,000, but is still miles away from the £50,000 target which the club has set to help recoup their losses.

The club has been an integral part of Bromsgrove society for close on 150 years.

They currently run four senior sides, including a Crusaders XV for the over-35's.

Bromsgrove can also claim to have over 400 Mini and Junior members which enables them to cater for sides from under 6-year-olds right up to under 18s.

Finstall Park also provides the training base for the England Deaf XV in addition to hosting the North Midlands under 20s and the under 12s annual festival.

If anyone would like to help the club, details are available by going to www.gofundme.com/f/bromsgrove-rugby-club-corona-appeal