Wasps RFC are making plans with Sevenoaks council to build a new stadium in Kent, the side went into administration last year, and haven’t played since September 2022.
The Wasps are hoping to build a 24-28,000 seat stadium, as well as training facilities and a hotel near Swanley, in the meantime they will ground share with Worcester Warriors, with some online spaces discussing a potential merger between the two former Premiership sides.
I spoke to some locals on the Sevenoaks streets about how they felt the build and the eventual games might affect them, such as traffic.
The council have published a precursor to the plan that refers to the build as a “wider mixed-use masterplan to provide a new multipurpose stadium complex that could host sport, concerts, conferences and events, training ground facilities and a supporting hotel.” They also stated that in order for the plan to go ahead, it would need to demonstrate that the development is within the public interest, in relation to the scale of the stadium and facilities.
There are some concerns however, as Wasps have had permanent relocations before that haven’t been as permanent as they originally thought, such as their move to the Ricoh in Coventry in 2014, after playing in High Wycombe since the early 2000s.
Despite the club wanting to “revive Wasps at the highest possible level”, earlier this year they were denied an offer in the second tier, as according to the RFU, they had not met deadlines to confirm their commitments.
Nearby Sevenoaks Rugby club had this to say in an official statement: “the club currently sees the proposal as positive for both Sevenoaks, Kent rugby and rugby as a whole. We watch the developments with a keen interest.”
It remains to be seen whether the development will go ahead, as it’s one of several proposals for the site at Pedham Place, but if it does, it will give Kent more buzz around its professional sports teams.