A PROJECT to build a new eco clubhouse at Bream RFC took a big step forward last week with the club welcoming aboard its first student consultant, who has experience of marketing professional rugby in the USA.

The club announced last summer that it had entered into an "exciting" partnership with Hartpury University, which would see Sports Business students assist the committee in developing a business plan and marketing strategy for their new facilities, which will be built later this year.

And now Masters’ student Noah Geltman, who has previously worked in marketing for the USA’s premier rugby competition Major League Rugby (MLR), has been assigned to work with the committee on the project.

The club secured planning permission for the new clubhouse, which will be built next to the first team pitch at their ground, in February last year, after selling off some of the land it owns - including its existing clubhouse - to fund the project.

The committee then approached Hartpury University’s Sports Business hub to help it develop business and marketing ideas for the new build, with the partnership having officially begun in September.

Richard Leppington, who is the committee member responsible for business at the club, said at the time that the partnership would give them "a huge amount of expertise" which would otherwise cost thousands of pounds through consultants, whilst giving the students a chance to put their theory-based learning into practice.

MSc Sports Management student Noah, who was born and raised in New York City, recently completed a two-year Operations and Marketing internship with MLR, which is the highest level of rugby competition in North America.

Then, last summer, he took on a marketing role with US club New York Old Blue RFC, and also produced content for the Hartpury 7s tournament last year.

Richard said of his involvement in the project: "Bream Rugby Club welcomes Noah to our partnership with Hartpury.

"He comes with an extremely strong business and rugby pedigree and will add considerable value to the project.

"His initial work will concentrate on identifying the market wishing to use the facilities offered at our new eco-friendly clubhouse.

"This will then inform our business strategy over the next five years."

Richard says that Noah’s expertise on the clubhouse project will help the committee further develop the business side of the club to support their long term aim of funding "the future of rugby" in the village.

"We will establish a business arm to market these facilities", Richard added.

"The days when rugby clubs were just rugby clubs have long gone. 

"Our corporate ambition is for Bream to operate as a commercial business that will fund the long term future of rugby in the village."

On his new role with the Forest club, Noah said: "One thing I think I can bring to the club is a very different perspective when it comes to brand development.

"Being from a place like New York City I have grown up in a multicultural, diverse, urban setting.

"I would love to be able to take the tricks I used while working with Major League Rugby and New York Old Blue RFC and apply them with Bream.

"As for what I can get out of the project, I am confident that working with Bream can challenge me in multiple categories under the sports management umbrella.

"This will not only help me develop as a leader on future projects, but expand my vision on what parts of a major project like this I may find the most interest in."