Chester hotel set to welcome rugby royalty

A luxury Chester hotel is set to welcome further rugby royalty as part of its intimate sporting series — which saw Welsh rugby legend Sam Warburton host an evening of sporting anecdotes and insights last week.

The Chester Grosvenor, located in the heart of Chester, began hosting the “Captains Club”, a series of sporting themed evenings, in 2018. Looking to explore the world of elite sport, the exclusive events offer a raw insight into the highs, lows and ‘nobody knows’ of its guests’ lives.  

As a former international rugby union player who played for the Cardiff Blues, Sam was first capped for Wales in 2009 and named captain in 2011, before going on to captain the British and Irish Lions twice. Commenting on last week’s event, he said: “I had a great night here at the wonderful Chester Grosvenor. It was a pleasure to meet so many guests and share some of my fondest rugby memories with them. I hope they enjoyed the evening as much as I did.” 

Following the success of last week, the hotel is now set to welcome further rugby royalty in the form of Ryan Jones MBE, Kelly Brown and Simon Shaw MBE as the next instalment of its Captains Club — three rugby union superstars each boasting a well-storied professional career.

Taking place on Thursday 31st August, guests will enjoy a delicious three-course meal accompanied by a half bottle of Sommelier’s choice wine, coffee and petit fours, followed by an evening of behind the scenes stories from each player’s impressive career — with a question and answer session at the end.

Ryan Paul Jones MBE is a former Wales international rugby union player who played at number eight, blindside flanker or second row. He was involved in three Grand Slam wins, in 2005, as captain in 2008, and 2012 — placing him within the small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams in their career.

Kelly Brown is a Scottish rugby union coach and former player, who earnt 64 caps for the Scotland national team, and played club rugby as a flanker for Glasgow Warriors, Border Reivers and Saracens. He retired in 2017 to become a coach with Saracens' academy, before moving to an assistant coach position at Glasgow Warriors in 2020 and returning to Saracens in 2021.

Finally, Simon Shaw MBE is a former English rugby union player who played as a lock for Bristol, London Wasps and Toulon, whilst also earning 71 caps for England between 1996 and 2011, and 2 for the British and Irish Lions, with whom he toured 3 times.

Commenting on the evening, Steve Ogden, General Manager at The Chester Grosvenor, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Sam Warbuton to the hotel last week, the evening was a great success and we have been inundated with positive feedback from those in attendance. I think the reason the Captains Club is so popular is that It offers guests an uncensored insight into the lives of well known professional athletes. With Ryan, Kelly and Simon’s well-storied and impressive careers, I have no doubt that the next instalment will offer yet another memorable insight into what it's like to be at the top of your game in the sport of rugby.”

With the existing building dating back to 1865, The Chester Grosvenor is a Grade II listed hotel located in the centre of Chester next to the iconic Eastgate Clock, near Chester Cathedral and the ancient city walls of the famous northern English town. It boasts 67 bedrooms and 12 suites, each one full of character and individual appeal.

Steve continued: “Of course, no evening at The Chester Grosvenor would be complete without great food and drink, so guests can expect hand-selected wines and meticulously designed dishes that offer the perfect compliment to an evening of interesting discussion.”

Tickets for the event are available to book online and over the phone.

To book a place at The Captains Club, please visit: 

https://www.chestergrosvenor.com/dining/menu-selection/the-captains-club/126-81/ 

For more information on The Chester Grosvenor, please visit: 

https://www.chestergrosvenor.com/ 

Pictured - Sam Warburton visits The Chester Grosvenor as part of highly-anticipated Captains Club series.