 |
| Falcons Salute Regional Progress |
 |
| Falcons director of rugby, John Fletcher |
| 4 March 2008, 12:48 pm |
|
| Newcastle director of rugby John Fletcher has hailed the strength of North-East rugby and the Falcons' links to the grass roots game, after another buoyant weekend for the region. |
While the Falcons’ own Guinness Premiership match may have come a cropper to the high winds at Kingston Park, neighbours Tynedale were romping to the National Three North title, as they secured promotion to National Division Two.
They will join Blaydon in that league next season, two divisions below the Premiership, with the Crow Trees team having consolidated their status after achieving promotion the previous year.
And there could even be a third North-East team promoted to National Two, with Darlington Mowden Park pushing hard for a play-off place from National Three North, sitting second in the table after winning their last five games.
With the Falcons having contributed players to all three teams during the course of the season, Fletcher said: “These are great times for North-East rugby.
“Blaydon achieved a fantastic promotion to National Division Two last season, and with Tynedale already 25 points clear of their nearest opponents they too will join them in that league after what has been a great campaign.
“The prospect of Darlington Mowden Park making it three North-East teams in National Two would be a massive boost for rugby in this region, and as the area’s Guinness Premiership representatives we are fully supportive of their efforts to climb up the league structure.”
With the Falcons working more closely than ever before with the region’s clubs, Fletcher said: “We have sent players to all three teams this season, which is an important part of our strategy going forward and something we will look to expand upon next year.
“Our involvement with our local clubs is very much a partnership, and the players who have gone out this season have all contributed enormously to the successes of their respective teams, as well as gaining fantastic experience and playing a good standard of rugby. From our own point of view it is of huge benefit to have this relationship with our local clubs, and for our players to complement their Guinness A League rugby.
“The local clubs deserve a huge amount of credit for the standard of rugby they are playing and the improvements they have made, which all bodes well for the region. That success filters down to all levels of the game, and is of huge importance to the next generation coming through.
“Having our players represent local clubs not only benefits the teams they are playing for, but also the players. For example we sent Toby Flood to play for his local club, Morpeth, for six months a couple of seasons ago, and a year later he was in the England team.”
With the Falcons’ involvement not just restricted to loaning players out to local clubs, Fletcher added: “We regularly hold ‘coach the coaches’ evenings where myself and the professional coaches at the Falcons work with local school and club coaches, ensuring that good practice filters down to the grass roots level of the game.
“Our players are also very active in schools and clubs via the Falcons Community Foundation, and this partnership throughout the region is very much what we are about.” |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
