It is one of the most historic landmarks in world rugby but the creaking Recreation Ground will soon have its 21st century makeover.

After submitting plans in 2018, Bath has finally obtained permission to modernize their stadium, increasing its capacity to 18,000 from the existing 14,500 seats.

The current shaky scaffolding stands will be replaced with permanent structures designed by architects with experience from Tottenham Hotspur and Wimbledon.

The stadium, known for its traditional charm, will retain its classic identity. However, the club’s CEO, Tarquin McDonald, envisions a tech-savvy experience where fans can use their phones to track their favorite players’ heart rates during matches.

McDonald mentioned to Daily Mail Sport, ‘Nowadays, everyone owns a smartphone. Access to data, statistics, and videos in real-time is crucial. Look at American sports—during games, they provide an abundance of data and information. While traditionalists prefer watching the game directly, accessing additional statistics presents a significant opportunity.’

Swipe the picture above to reveal how the Rec will look after its rebuild

How The Rec will look on game-day once the extensive revamp is completed

An artist’s impression of the new-look Rec, which will make use of its unique riverside location 

He continued, ‘Our aim is to enable fans to connect with key stats and visuals on their phones while enjoying the game. Using augmented reality, we want them to measure kick heights or track Henry Arundell’s speed live.’

‘The speed and pace of change is accelerating, so that’s where the opportunity is for us.’

Besides collaborating with stadium architects F3, the club is also engaging with Kay Elliott, known for working on significant heritage projects like Blackpool Tower’s £10 million restoration.

‘We want to retain everything that makes The Rec special: the access to the players, the intimacy, being able to hear the talk behind the posts,’ says McDonald.

‘We also want to bring in new things to get excited about. We’re not going to be the biggest stadium. We don’t have the scale of someone like Tottenham but what we can do is be really smart about how we bring in technology to create an amazing experience. 

‘We’ve got two screens in our application. One is retractable, towards the Johnstone Street end, a supersized screen that doesn’t create any impact outside of game days.’

Bath have an affluent following, consistently selling out despite having one of the highest ticket prices in the top flight. 

There has been limited scope for exclusive hospitality offerings but tiered packages will boost revenues in the new arena.

The Rec currently has a capacity of 14,500 but will increase to 18,000 with added hospitality after the rebuild

Bath celebrate winning the 2025 Premiership having beaten Leicester Tigers in the Twickenham final 

‘We have an intimate and tightly controlled space so we need to reduce queue times and give more choice to customers,’ says McDonald. 

‘Speed of pour, cashless, ordering via an app. We want to cater for everyone. A brilliant burger, a brilliant pint. People want choice.   

‘On a matchday, we’ll have many more tiers of hospitality. From a general admission plus, up to a really high-end experience. 

‘We want to create some fantastic hospitality experiences that provide access behind the scenes. 

‘A tunnel club. We want to bring in technology to enhance the experience for everyone on site. We’d like to be able to have guest chefs. 

‘We’d like to partner with local restaurants, whether that’s the Michelin-starred Olive Tree or Walcott House.

‘Look at Fulham in the Premier League. Craven Cottage is a really interesting ground for us. They’ve got that riverside grandstand and they’ve created it into a destination around Fulham Pier. 

‘That’s the opportunity for us, on a smaller scale, creating that riverside destination. The riverside hasn’t really been brought to life so 100 per cent we’ll activate that.

Bath completed an historic treble of league title, Premiership Cup and the European Challenge Cup in a memorable 2025

Cameron Redpath (left) and Miles Reid enjoy the club’s success last season

‘Outside of matchdays we’ll have conference facilities, a fantastic riverside brasserie on the top floor of the West Stand. It’s a sustainable 365-days-a-year offering.’

It is a big project with big ambitions. McDonald and his team are reluctant to commit themselves to public timeframes. 

The council are now awaiting authorisation from the Government before planning permission is granted. There are no plans to relocate during the construction process and Bath have hopes of hosting more than just regular club fixtures.

‘We’ve got an amazing Women’s World Cup going on at the moment but it’s not possible for our ground to host pool stages and knockout games,’ says McDonald. 

‘Our new stadium will be able to host international rugby. We want to use The Rec to host international games, alongside being the home of Bath Rugby. We’d love to be hosting games in the World Club Cup.’

McDonald adds: ‘We hope to be moving into construction in the not-too-distant future.

‘Our plan is to continue playing at The Rec and phase the build accordingly. How good would it be to take all the supporters on the journey with us and keep all the value within the city? That’s the plan.

‘The reason we have worked for so long to get all the various consultees and government agencies on board is because The Rec is the right place for Bath. 

The new facility will aim to keep the emotional connection the fans have to the 131-year-old stadium

‘It’s a place that has an emotional connection. It would have been unconscionable if the council hadn’t given their approval. The reality is, if you’re not developing at The Rec then you’re looking at an out-of-town location. 

‘That completely changes the character of the club and the character of the city.

‘People want rugby to stay in the centre of Bath. Look at the images from the 15th June, the day after that amazing day at Twickenham, there were tens of thousands of people on the streets. 

‘That wasn’t just about rugby; it was about community. There isn’t a top-flight football club here. This is a rugby town. Keeping The Rec as a hub for the community is vital for Bath.’