Horspath Cricket Club News story

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Horspath welcome STRONG Pilates Oxford as Principal Sponsor

21 Mar 2026

Horspath are delighted to announce STRONG Pilates Oxford as the club's principal sponsor for the next three years.
The Home Counties Premier Cricket League club have always been proud to be backed by local businesses and organisations that enable sport in the community to thrive. 
Partnering with a global fitness brand that has opened its doors in Stanton St. John, is a massive boost for Horspath, enabling the club to continue providing affordable cricket for adults, women and juniors including girls, while at the same time improving the facilities.
Over the next three years, Horspath will be working closely with STRONG on activities that support both the club and the sponsor. These include team-focused training and recovery sessions, matchday and club events, plus exclusive offers for Horspath families and members to join STRONG.
STRONG Pilates is an Australian-founded fitness brand that launched in 2019 and has expanded quickly internationally, through its innovative concepting. It is reformer-based training that combines Pilates, strength and cardio in one structured class. The sessions are designed to build core strength, mobility, control and conditioning, while still being approachable for beginners and challenging for experienced athletes. 
For cricket specifically, it supports durability, movement quality, stability through rotation, and recovery. It’s also a great complement to nets, gym work and matchday demands.
Director of Cricket Will Eason said: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome STRONG Pilates Oxford as our new principal sponsor for the next three years.
“I’d like to thank Amin Rafiq for his efforts in making this happen, along with Khaleda Rahman at STRONG Oxford. The financial support will help us to continue to grow both on and off the pitch, as well as providing some exciting ideas working together with all our members both at the Recreation Ground, and the brand new STRONG studio in Stanton St. John.” 
STRONG Pilates owner and director Khaleda Rahman added: "We’re proud to support Horspath Cricket Club as principal sponsor, and huge credit to Amin for bringing the opportunity to me.
“Cricket seems to be woven through STRONG, and seeing how Horspath CC brings the Oxford community together, it felt like a brilliant fit given what we're building with the Oxford studio.
“I'm excited to work with the club this season and see how we can add real value on both sides - supporting Horspath CC and its members, while also helping STRONG Oxford grow in the community."
Captain Amin Rafiq welcomed the partnership, saying: “From the outset, it was clear this was a natural fit, and I’m grateful to have worked with Asad Rafiq to bring the partnership together through our network at AR2 Construction Group. 
“As cricket continues to evolve, it’s important we look beyond the boundary. Partnering with a forward-thinking brand like STRONG enables us to do exactly that, with a strong focus on enhancing the health and wellbeing of our players, members, and the wider community.”
The UK arm of STRONG is led by former professional cricketer John Hastings, while England legend Stuart Broad is an official ambassador, so the connection to the game runs deeper than just branding.