07 March 2023 , 16:10
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Birmingham are eyeing Wasps' former training ground as a temporary home.
The Blues are seeking accommodation following a fire at their Wast Hills base late last week and have identified the site of the erstwhile Premiership rugby club as a potential target. The 13-acre plot near Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, has been re-purposed since Wasps, which used the Coventry Building Society Arena for its home games, folded.
But it is understood that the facilities that remain would be more than suitable for the struggling Championship club. John Eustace and his squad can currently use Wast Hills but are having to change and get ready over-the-road after the blaze ripped through the canteen.
It is understood the conflagration started in a room behind the kitchen and subsequent smoke and water damage have rendered large parts of the building unusable. It is believed an electrical fault was to blame, rather than anything sinister.
The women’s team, who share the use of the training ground with the men and academy scholars, will remain for the time being at Wast Hills. It is as yet unknown when Eustace & Co. will be able to return as the damage is still to be assessed and reparatory work undertaken.
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A club statement read on Friday afternoon : "The Club can confirm that Wast Hills Training Ground has suffered damage as a result of a fire. Hereford and Worcester Fire Service attended the scene and remain on site following the discovery during the early hours of Friday 3 March. No one was injured.
"Staff and players have been contacted and the facility remains closed until further notice. The Club will continue to liaise with the emergency services and will make no further comment at this time."
Birmingham boss John Eustace (Getty Images)Birmingham currently sit towards the bottom of the Championship and were held to a 1-1 draw at 23rd-place Wigan in their most recent game on Saturday. They sit seven points clear of the relegation zone, however, and it would take a mammoth collapse for them to go down with Huddersfield, Wigan and Blackpool all struggling inside the bottom three.
Speaking after the stalemate at the DW Stadium, Eustace told BluesTV : "With the run of results we’ve had the lads showed great character to come here and be the better team and showed that a good week’s work on the training ground pays off.
"We have had a difficult spell and it was important that we stopped the defeats today. I thought the performance was good and we keep going. The support today was magnificent; it really drove us through that first-half and second-half. We are very grateful for that."
Blues are next in action when they face Rotherham on Saturday, before travelling to Watford and QPR ahead of the international break.