Rotherham deserves better facilities at Herringthorpe Playing Fields

I have been playing rugby since I was six years old, at the first ever training session two people (one being me) turned up, now we have over a hundred members who turn up for training every week.

Many a time there has been dog excrement or sharp glass on the pitch. There have also been large dogs like German Shepherds and Pitbulls running around the pitches without any apparent owner or owners who are not interested that their dangerous dog is terrorising small children.

This also means we lose some of our training session, waiting for the dog to run off or its owner to see some sense and get their dogs under control. I think the state of the pitches has deterred some parents from getting their children involved in the wonderful game that is rugby, where I have found not only do you enjoy playing the game but you make many new friends and it instills discipline that will be good for you in later life.

When we play away matches we are always astounded at the quality of the opposition’s facilities and for as long as I remember we have longed for facilities as good as the other teams we play.

Rotherham has a great rugby heritage and deserves these facilities. My final point is that rugby is a game that welcomes with open arms anyone in the community and does not care what sex, race, colour or creed. This I believe is rugby’s greatest value.

Patrick Shaw, Bawtry Road  Listerdale