Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team that play in Premiership Rugby, England's highest division of rugby union.
The Royal Grammar School (RGS), Newcastle upon Tyne, is a selective private day school for pupils aged between 7 and 18 years. Founded in 1525 by Thomas Horsley, the Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne, it received royal foundation by Queen Elizabeth I and is the city's oldest institution of learning. It is one of seven schools in the United Kingdom to bear the name "Royal Grammar School", of which two others are part of the independent sector.
Durham School is a fee-charging boarding and day school in the English public school tradition located in Durham, North East England. Since 2021 it has been part of the Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation.
Gosforth is an area of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, situated north of the City Centre. It constituted a separate urban district of Northumberland from 1895 until 1974 before officially merging with the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2001, it had a population of 23,620.
Parklands is an electoral ward of Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England. It encompasses the northern edge of the suburb of Gosforth, north of the Metro line and bisected north–south by the Great North Road to the northern boundary of the City of Newcastle, bounded to the west by the A1 and east by the A189.
Darlington Mowden Park is a professional rugby union club, based in Darlington, County Durham, England. They currently compete in National League 1, the third division of the Rugby Football Union domestic league competition pyramid, having achieved promotion on 3 May 2014, after defeating Ampthill in the 2013–14 play-off. The club's former name, Darlington Grammar School Old Boys, was changed when they moved to Yiewsley Drive, which was located in Mowden. They relocated to The Darlington Arena, a 25,000 all-seater stadium in Darlington, purchasing the previously-vacated ground for £2 million; Yiewsley Drive had previously been sold to a housing estate company, and the Arena was previously owned by Darlington Football Club. They played their first game at the arena on 2 February 2013, in front of a crowd of over 1,000, comprehensively defeating Bromsgrove 62–7 in a National League 2 North league game.
Darlington RFC are a rugby union team that are situated in the North East town of Darlington, County Durham. They play at Blackwell Meadows on the south side of the town running parallel to the town's A66 by-pass. The first XV plays in Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland.
West Hartlepool Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club who play in Regional 2 North in the sixth tier of the English rugby union system.
Jesmond is a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, situated north of the city centre and to the east of the Town Moor. Jesmond is considered to be one of the most affluent suburbs of Newcastle upon Tyne, with higher average house prices than most other areas of the city.
Northern Football Club are a rugby union club that was founded in 1875, and is based in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne. Their strip is coloured navy Blue, Red and White. They currently play in Regional 2 North, the sixth tier of the English rugby union system, having been promoted from Durham Northumberland One at the end of the 2021/2022 season. Northern field three senior teams. These are the first team, Northern Wanderers and Northern Panthers. Northern have a very large successful mini and youth rugby set-up.
Gosforth Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team, currently playing in Durham/Northumberland 3 following the club's relegation from Durham/Northumberland 2 at the end of the 2019-20 season. The club was originally established in 1877, however in 1996 the club split in two. One half, Newcastle Gosforth went on to become the first ever professional rugby union club. Newcastle Falcons have been one of the most successful clubs in Northern England with 1 Premiership and 4 domestic cups to their name. The amateur Gosforth club was founded in the split.
Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland, formerly known as Durham/Northumberland 2, is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from North East England. The champions and runner-up are promoted to Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland and the bottom two clubs are relegated to Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland. Each season two teams from Durham/Northumberland 2 are picked to take part in the RFU Senior Vase - one affiliated with the Durham County RFU, the other with the Northumberland RFU. Ponteland won their fourth title in 2020 with Sunderland also promoted.
Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland, previously known as Durham/Northumberland 3, is an English rugby union league at the ninth tier of the domestic competition and is currently the basement league of club rugby in North East England. Any club in the north east wishing to join the rugby union club hierarchy must begin at the bottom so all new teams from the north east start in this division - although until 2005-06 there was relegation to the now defunct Durham/Northumberland 4. The champions and runner-up are promoted to Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland.
Alnwick RFC is an amateur rugby union club based in the town of Alnwick, Northumberland in north-east England. The club play in Regional 1 North East, a level five league in the English rugby union system and are the most northerly rugby union club in English league rugby,. Alnwick regularly field three senior sides, all of which play competitive league and cup rugby. The club also has a junior section running teams from under 7's through to under 18's and a girls section.
John Elders was an English rugby union player and coach. He played with Leicester Tigers between 1953 and 1958, scoring the third most tries in the 1950s for his club (38). Elders was also club captain for a number of seasons.
North East 2 was an English Rugby Union league was at the eighth tier of the domestic competition when it was founded in 1987 and was available to teams in North East England. Promoted teams moved up to North East 1 while relegated teams dropped to Durham/Northumberland 1 and latterly North East 3. The division was abolished at the end of the 1999–2000 season due to RFU restructuring with teams being transferred to regional leagues such as Yorkshire 1 or Durham/Northumberland 1.
Wallsend Rugby Football Club is a rugby union side based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear. The club runs senior adult and junior teams for all ages. The 1st XV senior side compete in Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland and the 2nd XV play in the Northumberland Rugby Union River Coquet league. Senior games are played on Saturday afternoons. The junior boys and girls teams train and play on Sunday mornings with ages 4+ catered for.
The Northumberland Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in the historic county of Northumberland, England and one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1880. In addition, the county has won the county championship on two occasions, and finished runners-up on a further five occasions.
The Northumberland Senior Plate is an annual rugby union competition held between the clubs of the Northumberland RFU which was first played for during the 2001-2002 season. It is the second tier county cup for the Northumberland Rugby Union, which includes Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, and Northumberland.
Morpeth Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club based in Morpeth, Northumberland. The 1st XV team currently plays in Regional 2 North, having previously reached the national levels of the sport for the first time in 2019–20. The club operates 3 Senior Men's sides and Colts regularly playing each weekend, plus 'Morpeth Ranters' Vets, a Senior Ladies team and 3 Girls rugby squads, as well as a full range of Age Grade rugby with teams ranging from U6 > U16.
Graeme Cooper
Magnus Leask
