Cheltenham company helps Gloucester Rugby's 'Rapid' tie up with armed forces

Rapid Retail, the Cheltenham-based provider of portable shop units and kiosks, has stepped in to provide a brand new bespoke office unit as Gloucester Rugby teamed up with the armed forces.

Rapid delivered and installed ‘The Gloucester Crew’ stand at the Kingsholm stadium, where the unit is decorated with the logos of the Army, RAF and Gloucester Rugby. The opening of the permanent Crew stand has further helped to cement an already close relationship between Gloucester Rugby and the forces.

Soldiers and aircrew, supported by representatives from Gloucester Rugby, will now staff the new unit on each match day, allowing hundreds of the clubs junior and younger supporters to meet both senior club players and get information regarding not only the RAF and the Army but also about other club-related community activities.

At last Saturday’s opening Heineken Cup match against Biarritz, England Internationals Luke Narraway and Anthony Allen were also on hand at the Crew stand to sign autographs and to promote interest in the services. Rapid’s units have now been taken up by some of the UK’s largest football, rugby and other sports clubs where they are most frequently used to provide affordable ways to create additional and adaptable retailing space and to create impulse purchase opportunities, but they often also used to provide information and meeting points, as with the new ‘Crew’ unit at Gloucester Rugby. Gary Little, Gloucester Rugby’s community marketing manager, said: “The ‘Crew’ unit is great addition to the Community team and the match day experience for our young supporters at Gloucester. Many of our community projects focus on young people and their engagement in rugby as a sport and the associated benefits of a physically active and healthy lifestyle. We have worked with Rapid Retail now for some time as they also provide other kiosks and even a bar unit, all of which have worked really well for the club, helping to provide better facilities for fans all over the ground”.

Nick Daffern, Rapid Retail’s managing director, said: “It’s great to see Gloucester Rugby’s involvement with young supporters and with their local community in general. We have already supplied other units, including a specially created bar at the ground and were delighted when the Club asked us to get involved and to provide the ‘Crew’ unit.