You could never accuse Cheltenham Tigers Rugby Club of standing still.

And yesterday was another red-letter day in the Western Counties North club’s 128-year history.

That’s because there was the official turf cutting ceremony at Newlands Park to mark the start of work getting under way on the much-awaited changing room development.

It comes just a handful of weeks after the final consent required for the new RFU-funded artificial grass pitch (AGP) was granted by Tewkesbury Borough Council.

Dame Janet Trotter, Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, was at The Newlands yesterday to perform the turf cutting formalities and she was joined by Peter Williams, chairman of Gloucestershire RFU, and the Major and Mayoress of Tewkesbury, Harry Turbyfield and Ruth Hatton.

The £594,000 project is expected to be fully completed by July 2018, and to coincide with the installation of the new AGP by the RFU on a 15-week programme starting on 26th March.

Cheltenham chairman Steve Ratcliffe said: “This is such an important day for the club. We have talked about this project as far back as August 2007 when we successfully purchased the ground at Newlands, so to finally be starting is a real milestone for everyone involved.

“Not only do we plan to have the new changing rooms completed in July 2018, but plan to commence our pre-season for 2018-19 on the new AGP.”

Ratcliffe and fellow committee members were joined at The Newlands by the project’s main contractor Barry Hewer, principal contractor, Chris Lock of Buildbase, the project’s principal materials supplier, Ian Henderson, MD of CF Roberts, the project’s M&E designers and advisers, Andrew Silcock of Silcock Construction Consultancy, Andrew Bird of Clive Petch Architects and Eoin McQuone of Mira Showers.

Also present were first-team captain James Hillier, ladies’ first team captain Jessica Elbeck and youth development adviser Clive Stuart-Smith.

The project is being supported with funds from Lloyds Bank, the RFU, Rugby Football Foundation, Tewkesbury Borough Council, Gloucestershire playing fields association and The Somerfield Trust, as well as money raised from the ‘Pitch-in’ crowdfund campaign, the club’s highly successful Lions dinner earlier in 2017 and ongoing rugby club fundraising and funds.