Sheppey Rugby Club are facing their “biggest hurdle yet” as they look for funding to kickstart their development project.

They need £50,000 to produce detailed plans of their big-money rebuilding project at Stupple Field.

Building costs are due to be met by grant funding but, before that, the club need cash to keep the £540,000 project moving forward. A delegation from the club met Minister for Sport and Equalities Helen Grant last month to put forward their case.

Project director and former Sheppey RFC chairman Neil Golding said: “We had a good meeting and Helen Grant was supportive of what we are planning to do.

“We have been working on this for a long time and we got planning permission in October. Now we are trying to find the funding.

“We need more detailed drawings now from the architects and those services are going to cost over £50,000. This is the biggest hurdle so far.”