Douglas Rugby Club has established a JustGiving page in an attempt to cover some of the loss of its TT income.

The Port-e-Chee outfit hosts a popular campsite on its grounds during the annual two-week motorcycling event, also opening up its clubhouse to sell food and drink to the visitors.

However, with this year’s TT cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, the club will be left without the money it usually generates towards club funds during the period.

Player/coach Carl Murray explained the need to raise the initial figure of £9,500 the club are looking for: ’Over recent years our TT campsite and bar revenue have financed pitch maintenance, but unfortunately this year we will be running at a big loss with the event cancelled.

’After conversations with our groundsman, Jasper Kirkpatrick, we’ve been warned that not fulfilling this year’s maintenance will cause a backwards step in the hard work that has been put into the club’s two playing surfaces in recent years.

’After several postponements the previous season, the club sat down with UK pitch professionals TGMS in the summer of 2018 and prepared a cost-effective plan to prepare the pitches for the 18-19 season.

’We need to follow this procedure for the next five years so that the surfaces remain in a usable state. It is therefore imperative that the club raises enough funds in order to meet the £9,500 cost of this maintenance, which includes sanding, seeding and fertilising.’

The club, whose first team play in the sixth tier of English rugby, has already looked into securing funding help from the RFU and Isle of Man government as it will also be faced with a bill of upward of £20,000 to cover travel when the new North One West season begins.

Murray added: ’This is a situation brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, but with the support of the club’s fans we can hopefully come out of this stronger.’