He has established a 50:50 partnership with Bruce Craig
Billionaire entrepreneur Sir James Dyson has purchased a 50 per cent ownership stake in the group that includes Bath Rugby, Arena 1865, the club’s stadium development company, and the Farleigh training facilities, it has been revealed.
The deal forms a long-term 50:50 partnership between Sir James Dyson and Bruce Craig, with the latter continuing to manage Bath Rugby and spearhead the club’s forthcoming phase of growth both on and off the pitch.
As part of the arrangement, Sir James Dyson will inject substantial new capital into the group to decrease existing debt and aid the construction of the club’s new stadium.
This comes as the most recent financial accounts covering the period until 30 June 2024 show the club’s loss for the financial year increased by 12.9 per cent, from £3.26m to £3.68m. Additionally, owner Craig increased his loan to the club by £5.9m, bringing the balance to £30.1m. The loan is interest-free and payable at 12 months’ notice, according to the accounts.
Last year, plans were approved to replace the current temporary stands at the Recreation Ground with an 18,000-seat stadium. The construction of the stadium would span three years, with Bath Rugby continuing to play at the Recreation Ground during this period, reports Somerset Live.
Since taking ownership of the club in 2009, Craig has steered Bath Rugby through the pandemic, its financial consequences and the broader turbulence of the professional game whilst reconstructing the club into one of rugby’s premier sides. The recent historic treble, ending a 29 year wait for a league title, represented the pinnacle of that endeavour, a statement from Bath Rugby said.
Sir James Dyson, who has backed Bath Rugby for more than 45 years, said the partnership was deeply personal.
He said: “This is the club I have supported for most of my life. My children and my grandchildren do so too. I stood on the terraces and have watched the high moments as well as the difficult years.
“Bruce deserves enormous respect for rebuilding the club to be the force that it is today and I am not here to change that. I am here to support, just as I have for the past forty five years but now with greater commitment and responsibility.
“My family and I are proud to stand alongside Bruce as equal partners to further strengthen the foundations of Bath Rugby, realise the new stadium and help ensure its future. Bath Rugby matters deeply to this city and its wonderful supporters who are the most dedicated in the land.”
Craig said the partnership embodied continuity and alignment, adding: “This has never been a short term project. From the beginning the aim has been to build something resilient, competitive and worthy of the club’s history.
“James understands Bath Rugby first and foremost as a supporter and a friend. His family has stood behind the club for decades and it always felt inevitable that our paths would align in this way.
“I will continue to run Bath Rugby and together we will strengthen its foundations, realise the new stadium and build the club for generations to come.”







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