Coventry RFC is pleased to announce a major step forward for the Club with the formation of an Advisory Board to help manage and advise the Club.

The Club is an important part of the City’s history and culture and this board will provide a platform for more people to have an input in the direction it takes. The people, who have volunteered to work on the Advisory Board, can and will make a significant difference and will help secure a strong future for the Club.

Andrew Green, Coventry’s Chairman, commented: “We have long believed that Coventry should be a Club for the people, by the people and the formation of this board will allow successful people of Coventry, who care about this great Club, to take it forward.

“The board is made up of people who, over many years, have demonstrated their love and devotion for the Club and the City and are committed to seeing the Club prosper. I have always felt uncomfortable with being referred to as the owner; I have always viewed myself as a custodian of this important institution in the City. Sitting alongside some of the Coventry greats, I remember watching them play as a child and feel very humbled. We all agree Coventry’s longevity is paramount; it should be around long after we have gone.”

The Advisory Board will consist of nine people who will regularly meet to discuss and formulate plans for the future of the Club. They are as follows:

Peter Rossborough:

Peter's history speaks for itself. His rugby career has seen him play for, coach and manage the English National Team whilst captaining and playing almost 400 times for his beloved Coventry. Peter is a very well respected individual in the game and at the Rugby Football Union. Peter was educated at King Henry VIII School and Durham and Warwick Universities. Peter has taught in Coventry and Warwickshire and was Head of Ashlawn School for 21 years prior to retiring this year.

John Butler:

John has been a supporter of the Club for nearly 60 years and started watching Coventry when he was four years old. He is already an invaluable member of the support team here at the Butts Park Arena. Some of his duties include the production of the match day programme, PA announcer on match days and the Club’s alternative representative on First Division Rugby Limited. John also is the voice of rugby on local radio and reports on the games for BBC Coventry and Warwickshire as well as hosting their ‘Ruck and Maul’ programme.

John Maguire:

Coventry born and bred, John’s experience lies in City based construction and property companies, and he also has varied business interests in Eastern Europe. As John’s business commitments decrease, he is once again diverting his energies in the direction of Coventry Rugby Club, of which he is a long-time supporter. John and Bob Curtis were the founding members of the original Centurions, back in the Coundon Road days. John and Bob approached the Club during the summer and their offer to resurrect the old style Centurions was warmly received. John’s hard work since then has seen membership of the new, revitalised Centurions already approach 40 members.

Andrew Carpenter:

Andrew is a long-time supporter of the Club; he has been watching Coventry since childhood when his father used to bring him to games. Unfortunately, due to ill heath, his father does not attend many home games anymore; however his brother is still also a big supporter. Andrew is a trained accountant and a senior manager within Jaguar, responsible for the development of their dealer network around the world. Andrew has been instrumental in developing the relationship with Jaguar as a sponsor, which has included building confidence, increasing participation and ensuring Jaguar has an understanding of what we are trying to achieve here at the Club.

Bob Curtis:

Bob was born and bred in the area and attended Woodlands School; since then his business commitments have taken him slightly further afield. Bob has been a successful businessman for many years working in the wholesaling business. He is a very well respected man within both the business and sporting community and was one of the people responsible for the formation of the original Centurion supporters club at Coundon Road. Bob has played rugby, football and cricket at senior level in Coventry in his younger years and is fully committed to the Club’s future. Bob is now working hard with John Maguire to resurrect the Centurions Club.

Chris Gregory:

Chris has over 20 years of corporate finance experience and is a founding partner of Orbis Partners LLP. Chris has completed over 200 deals in the last 20 years in which he has acted as lead adviser. Chris was previously a partner at Deloitte in Birmingham. He has lived in and around the City for some time; his children attended King Henry VIII School and he is a loyal supporter of the Club with his wife. Chris and his wife regularly attend home and away games. He has a strong belief that the City of Coventry needs strong professional sports teams to help the City believe in itself.

Nick Newbold:

Coventry born and bred, Nick attended King Henry VIII School and is the Managing Director of HIA International, a successful insurance broker which started trading in April 1997 and now has over 30 members of staff based in 3 offices in the UK. HIA holds agencies with all "household named" insurers and also has representation at Lloyd's of London. Nick played rugby for the Old Wheatleyans in the City for over 25 years and is a big supporter of all sports. Nick is also committed to voluntary work and dedicates much time to The Acorns Children's Hospice and Cure Leukaemia Charities.

Stephen Priest:

Stephen is a full-time operational employee of Coventry RFC Limited.

Andrew Green:

Andrew is a full-time operational employee of Coventry RFC Limited.

The Club may announce further members of the advisory board shortly.

Ends.

Press enquiries:

Lauren Alewood

Marketing and PR Executive

Coventry RFC Limited