Richmond Club, The Borough

bar — Richmond · Christchurch

About Richmond Club, The Borough

The Borough is the home of the Richmond Club, a Christchurch sporting and social institution whose connection to the Richmond neighbourhood stretches back more than 130 years. Billing itself as "the people's place," the club brings everything under one roof: a morning coffee, drinks with friends, a family dinner with the kids, live music, big-screen sport and a full calendar of raffles, tournaments and events.

Eat and drink across three distinct spaces — The Taproom for relaxed meals and live music on Friday and Saturday evenings, The Critic Sports Bar for live sport seven days a week, and The Custodian Café for a caffeine fix and a bite to eat, where members swipe their card for a discount. Around them sit a squash centre, ten pool tables, a dedicated snooker room, dart boards, a gaming room, TAB facilities, a family playground and even electric vehicle charging stations.

The club's story runs deep. Chartered in 1888 and opened in February 1889 with 34 members, the Richmond Working Men's Club has supported its community through war, the Depression and the Canterbury earthquakes — it even hosted social evenings for the crews of Shackleton's Nimrod and Scott's Terra Nova. Damaged in the 2011 quake and rebuilt in stages, the final stage of the new club opened its doors in November 2020.

Beyond the everyday, The Junction functions space hosts everything from small business meetings to lavish weddings, while a courtesy van, regular raffles and a wide range of social sporting sections keep the club's community spirit front and centre.

Signature items

  • The Taproom
  • The Critic Sports Bar
  • The Custodian Café
  • Squash Centre
  • Pool & Snooker
  • Courtesy Van

Menu

Amenities

  • Family Playground — Family friendly playground area for the kids.
  • EV Charging Stations — Charge your electric vehicle while you visit.
  • Courtesy Van — Runs within an 8km radius; Tue-Wed from 4pm, Thu-Sun from 2pm; $3 per way or a 10-ride concession for $20.
  • Big Screens & TVs — Large projector screens and TVs throughout the venue.

Eat & Drink

  • The Taproom — Bar and bistro for coffee, drinks with friends or family dinner with the kids; live music Friday and Saturday evenings, tunes on Sunday afternoons.
  • The Critic Sports Bar — Home of all things sport, with live action seven days a week on the big screen.
  • The Custodian Café — Coffee and a bite to eat; Richmond members swipe their card for a discount.

Bar & Gaming

  • Gaming Room — New gaming room in The Taproom with 18 machines, open 7 days; staff carry out host-responsibility checks.
  • TAB Facilities — TAB room in The Critic with self-service and manned terminals, open 7 days; another self-service terminal in The Taproom.
  • Club Raffles — Held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday — meat trays, cash prizes and surprise raffles.

Functions & Events

  • The Junction — Function and events space hosting everything from small business meetings to lavish weddings, with the club's service and culinary team.

Sports & Recreation

  • Squash Centre — Squash courts with an on-site coach; join social and competitive sections.
  • Pool Tables — Ten pool tables across The Taproom and The Critic; closed to the public Tuesday and Wednesday evenings for interclub.
  • Snooker Room — A dedicated room for a proper game of snooker.
  • Dart Boards — Darts alongside the venue's other cue sports.
  • Sporting Sections — A wide range of social sporting sections members can join.