Transforming Tradition: The Evolution of Rugby School's Performance Gym

Once an old shooting range now high-performance gym, the Rugby School space was transformed to meet the growing demands of the school’s athletic development provision.

With the Strength and Conditioning program within the school catering for pupils as young as 13, right through to junior internationals at 18, the school needed to create an inspiring training space that could facilitate the varying demands of all students and encourage progression throughout the school.

The refurbished performance gym opens the space to more students, allowing greater contact time and a unique training environment that can be enjoyed by all. Students now have the option to train independently or as part of a squad using the Prestera Power Racks with an array of lifting attachments, and coaches have greater access to the tools they need to progress students training.

Functionality as well as aesthetics were key to the brief and the customised Prestera Power racks helped to meet both criteria. Custom-branded Prestera racks and a variety of Eleiko strength tools such as speciality barbells, sport training plates, plate dumbbells, a dual adjustable pulley machine and more, unlock a host of new training possibilities for both students and coaches – as well as a safe environment in which to perform the Olympic weightlifting movements.

Custom rack colours, branded sport training plates, turf track and plyo boxes were also implemented, harnessing the school’s identity throughout for a unique lifting experience.

Rugby School has a rich history in sport, producing the game that millions love worldwide. Keeping at the forefront of UK Independent schools with its strong academic and cocurricular offering, the new performance gym enriches Rugby School’s already impressive indoor and outdoor facilities.

The gym opens as the school celebrates 200 years of Rugby football and will offer more students than ever the chance to participate in Strength and Conditioning sessions. Commenting on the new high-performance facility, Nathan Atlay, Head of Athletic Development at Rugby School says,

“From start to finish Eleiko were integral in finding solutions to the space from flooring through to rack customisation, utilising innovative products and space-saving solutions that also reflect the school’s brand. The install process was smooth with Eleiko working around our term dates and leaving the facility in pristine condition.”

Eleiko Prestera, our modular, customisable strength system is being adopted across sporting universities and performance centres worldwide, with distinctive configurations to redefine what is possible for floor plans and training. Contact our team to discover the possibilities.