WARWICKSHIRE CCC performance director, Gavin Larsen, hopes to establish an outground in the county ahead of playing three One-Day Cup games in Rugby over the next few weeks.
The Bears will play Surrey (August 2), Yorkshire (August 11) and Nottinghamshire (August 14) at Rugby School as Warwickshire take professional cricket into the community for the first time in nine years.
And Larsen praised the facilities provided by Rugby School, insisting the pitch and outfield are of the highest standard with the Bears seeking to play more games away from Edgbaston in the future.
Larsen said: “It was really apparent, by the middle of last season, we’re under growing pressure now in terms of the fixture list.
“We have many additional women’s games that need to be played at the stadium and other major fixtures, it just became apparent we need to move some of those away from Edgbaston.
“It’s part of our goal to establish an outground in Warwickshire in the wider county, to engage with the community and attract new fans in the Rugby area.
“It’s proved to be successful in the past and here we are now, we’re not far away now.
“We’ll run these three matches and then chat with the people at Rugby School with a view to pushing forward in subsequent years, we’d love to, it’s a fantastic facility.
“What’s really important in one-day cricket is that the pitch and outfield are really good quality, it’s of the highest standard, it’s an amazing facility, we’re very lucky to be playing there.”
The club hope to put on a festival of cricket over the course of the three One-Day Cup games in Rugby while also attracting new fans and engaging with the wider Warwickshire community.
And with the Bears launching their first professional women’s side next year, Larsen hopes to add women’s fixtures to future festivals.
Larsen added: “It’s about spreading the reach of the Bears into the wider Warwickshire community, it’s a really big catchment area.
“With the team playing consistently at Edgbaston, it does mean there can be a reasonable amount of travelling so to take the Bears out into the community will be a real success.
“In 2025 we’ve got out first professional Bears women’s team starting at the club, it would be lovely to run a festival of cricket where both male and female professional cricket is being played.
“During the period we’re out here, it’s going to offer our community team opportunities to engage with schools, clubs and we connect the Bears players with those as well.”
While Larsen admits a full fixture list is a problem all counties face, he insists Warwickshire’s priority is to take cricket out into the wider community to ease the pressure of hosing all of their home matches at Edgbaston.
Larsen said: “It’s an issue for all clubs, the fixture list is really full.
“You’ve got the 14 County Championship games, T20 Blast, The Hundred, MB50, Charlotte Edwards Cup, Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and major international fixtures.
“All of that puts incredible pressure on the ground, developing a wider facility strategy around Warwickshire which gives us the opportunity to take quality cricket out into county is a pressing priority for us.”
