Grenfell campaigners urge RFU to reconsider use of Kingspan in new training facility | England rugby team

The Rugby Football Union has been urged to reconsider using materials from an insulation company found to have behaved with “persistent dishonesty” according to the final report of the Grenfell Tower inquiry, on a new training facility, the Guardian can reveal.

The RFU is building a new “flexible multi-use space” and storage facility at Pennyhill Park – the England Bagshot training base since 2003 – and in the plans seen by the Guardian, the union has shown its intention to use materials provided by the Guardian made. Irish company Kingspan. It is understood work started at the end of August and will include the supply of Kingspan materials.

According to the final report of the inquiry last month, Kingspan was found not to be directly responsible for the Grenfell fire, but showed “complete disregard for fire safety” in the way it marketed one of its products. The report also said it showed “deep-seated and persistent dishonesty… in the pursuit of commercial gain”.

It is understood the RFU are building a temporary “demountable” structure and have applied for planning permission for the first five years, only because the union is considering relocating England’s top-flight squad elsewhere after the next World Cup. In what hardly constitutes a convincing statement of support for Steve Borthwick remaining as head coach beyond the 2027 tournament in Australia, a planning proposal from the union stated: “The RFU have only opted for temporary demountable structures due to the uncertainty of whether they will subsequently be built at Pennyhill Park will continue until 2028 and the possible change in requirements after the next World Cup in 2027.”

The Grenfell Tower fire occurred in 2017 and resulted in the deaths of 72 people. A small amount of Kingspan insulation product used on the building was not found to be the cause of the fire. The main cause was the tower’s cladding, which did not meet building regulations and allowed the flames to spread quickly.

However, the inquiry’s final report describes a “path to disaster” stretching back to the 1990s and examines the wider behavior of the construction industry. It revealed that from 2005 Kingspan ‘consciously created a false market for insulation’ for use in buildings over 18 meters high.

In the wake of the publication, major winning golfer Shane Lowry cut ties with Kingspan after years of insistence from campaigners. In 2021, the Mercedes F1 team had removed sponsorship from their cars while the investigation was still ongoing. Rugby club Ulster, for whom Kingspan was the main sponsor and owned the naming rights to their stadium, announced earlier this year that the partnership would end in June 2025. The club was under pressure from the government to cut ties with Kingspan before the closure of the league. investigation and was criticized by the then Leveling Up secretary, Michael Gove, and campaigners for the time taken to make the decision.

Grenfell United, which represents the survivors and relatives of those who lost their lives in the fire, said in a statement to the Guardian: “It is disappointing to see it is business as usual for the Rugby Football Union. They need to read the summary of the Grenfell inquiry and think about it again.

“The report found that ‘Kingspan knowingly created a false market in isolation’ and exposed the company’s ‘calculated’, ‘cynical’ and ‘disingenuous’ methods of marketing their product. Can you really have a clear conscience if you use a company that is under criminal investigation? Seventy-two people died at Grenfell, let their legacy be one of change.”

Last month, Kingspan welcomed the report, stating that: “It states clearly and unequivocally that the type of insulation was immaterial, and that the main reason for the fire spread was the PE ACM cladding, which was not made by Kingspan. Kingspan has long recognized the completely unacceptable historical failings that have occurred in some of our UK insulation activities. These were in no way a reflection of how we behaved as a group, then or now. Although deeply regrettable, they did not appear to be the cause of the tragedy.”

It is understood the RFU ordered the Kingspan materials – other than those used at Grenfell – in July, while the public inquiry was still ongoing, but before the final report. The union wants the single-storey facility to be ready in time for the England internationals in November, while New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan are due to appear at the Allianz Stadium. The existing training center in Bagshot was built in 2014 and the RFU has indicated the need to modernize the facilities to “ensure it meets the ever-changing needs of the coaches and team”.

According to plans revealed by The Guardian, the new ‘inspirational’ facility will come complete with beanbags, card tables and a theatre-style meeting room. It accommodates various areas required during a training camp, such as team meetings, analysis, medical, refueling, hydration, recovery and relaxation areas, as well as improved toilet and hygiene facilities.

An RFU spokesperson said: “We do not discuss individual suppliers or manufacturers (unless they are brand partners). Our suppliers and those involved in our construction projects are expected to adhere to established best practices and construction regulations.”