WALLINGFORD'S popular Rugfest celebration has been cancelled for the second year running following concerns about potential damage to a rugby pitch.

Last year the music and beer festival, which usually attracts about 2,000 people, was called off for the first time in eight years so that improvement work at Wallingford Sports Park could be completed.

But now it has been put off once again.

Rugfest is a fundraiser for Wallingford Rugby Club, which is based at the sports park in Hithercroft Road, and the club's Guy Hewitt has run the event since 2008.

A £70,000 drainage scheme for one of the club's pitches, backed by Sport England, has been completed but the pitch, which is used for the festival, will not be playable until next season and the club does not want it to be damaged.

The club's honorary secretary Stuart Mount said: "We had the pitch reseeded last year and on the advice of the company that did it we should leave it untouched until September - that's the pitch where the festival is held.

"At the same time the club is celebrating its 50th anniversary on July 8 when 300 people will be attending a big event and there's a big focus on that.

"We know Rugfest is very popular with people in the town and would like to bring it back next year or it will lose momentum.

"We don't want to do anything that would potentially damage the pitch and we hope to be back with a vengeance next year."

Last year the festival team considered moving Rugfest to a new location for one year but decided against switching to a different location.

Wallingford Sports Park, on Hithercroft Road, is owned by the district council and managed by Wallingford Sports Trust.

Sports park manager Dave Greedy said: "Rugfest is not taking place this year - I have been told it is not happening.

"The drainage work on the rugby pitch has been completed but it is not playable at the moment and will be available next season."

Sports trust chairman John Atkins added the club has informed the trust Rugfest will not go ahead as expected in June.

Changing rooms at the sports park costing £400,000 officially opened in September.

The new facilities first proposed in 2009, were welcomed by more than 1,800 members of seven clubs who play sports including rugby, hockey, tennis and football.

Thousands of players from local clubs, including Wallingford Rugby Club, Wallingford Hockey Club, AFC Wallingford, Petanque Wallingford and Hithercroft Squash Club, are benefiting from the six new changing rooms.

The project was backed by the Rugby Football Union which donated £80,000, Sport England which provided £75,000, and environmental body WREN which paid £50,000.

The final instalment of £187,000 was provided by park owners South Oxfordshire District Council.

There are separate male and female changing rooms for both adults and children.