Falcons v Exeter programme

MATCH-DAY PROGRAMME 

NEWCASTLE 

FALCONS VS 

EXETER CHIEFS 

FRI 18.10.24 

KO 19:45

SW TCH ON 

TO STELRAD 

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4. P.RUBIOLO 

2. J. BLAMIRE 

3. R. PALFRAMAN 

5. J. HAWKINS 

6. P. VAN DER WALT 

9. S. STUART 

8. C. CHICK (C) 

7. T. GORDON 

10. E. GRAYSON 

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20 ADAM SCOTT 21 JOE DAVIS 22 ALEX HEARLE 23 CAMERON HUTCHISON 

STARTING XV 

1 SCOTT SIO 

15 JOSH HODGE 

2345678 JACK YEANDLE (CAPTAIN) 

14 IMMANUEL FEYI-WABOSO MARCUS STREET 

13 OLLY WOODBURN 

RUSI TUIMA 

12 JOE HAWKINS 

FRANCO MOLINA 

11 PAUL BROWN-BAMPOE ETHAN ROOTS 

10 HARVEY SKINNER 

RICHARD CAPSTICK 

9 SAM MAUNDER 

ROSS VINTCENT 

REPLACEMENTS 

16 JACK INNARD, 17 KWENZO BLOSE, 18 JOSH IOSEFA-SCOTT, 19 CHRIST TSHIUNZA, 20 GREG FISILAU, 21 TOM CAIRNS, 22 WILL HAYDON-WOOD, 23 BEN HAMMERSLEY 

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KE E P I NG 

YOU W A R M 

REFEREE: Luke Pearce 

ASSISTANT REFEREES: Adam Leal, Jamie Leahy 

TELEVISION MATCH OFFICIAL: Dean Richards 

TIME KEEPER: Alan Hughes 

CITING OFFICER: Duncan Bell

DIMES 

DIRECTOR OF RUGBY 

“Belief comes primarily through results, 

and tonight we have a big opportunity.” 

It’s a big night for us at Kingston Park, and I’d like to 

start this evening’s programme notes by thanking all 

of our supporters and sponsors who continue to give us 

such fantastic backing. 

I know we’ll have a vocal Friday-night fan base, and 

it makes such a difference – especially now that the 

nights are getting darker and the temperature is 

beginning to drop. 

We had a good contingent of Falcons supporters over at 

Sale last weekend getting behind the lads as you always 

do, and I know you will have shared our disappointment 

at how the game played out. 

The one thing you can’t question with this group of 

players is their attitude, and they’ve been very honest 

after the weekend in terms of understanding what 

improvements we need to make to our game to start 

that process of turning things round. 

Along with the coaches and support staff they’ve taken 

full responsibility, and we’re very clear as a group about 

what needs to be done. 

The good news from my perspective is that they’re all 

generally easy fixes, and that’s the work that’s been 

going on during the week as we’ve turned our attention 

towards this game against Exeter, who are also 

searching for their first win of the season. 

The difference that one result could make for us tonight 

is massive, and I’ve got full belief that the lads proudly 

representing this club will go out there and get the job 

done. 

We’ve got a great foundation here thanks to Semore 

Kurdi, who is a fantastic owner and has steered this club 

through what we all know has been a tough time for the 

sport. I’ve worked in loads of different professional 

rugby environments, and the infrastructure here is 

genuinely as good as any I’ve seen thanks to the support 

of Semore and his team. 

Of course when you’re on a run like we are you start to 

hear certain narratives in the media, but we’ve just got 

to put all of that noise to one side and get on with the 

daily fundamentals of getting that knowledge and skill 

into us, and really driving the belief among the group. 

Belief comes primarily through results, and tonight we 

have a big opportunity to get that going. 

Callum Chick has done a great job as captain in terms of 

how he has spoken to the players and led from the front, 

and I see loads of positives here. 

None of these lads are hiding from the work that’s 

needed to make us that highly competitive side I always 

talk about. Everyone is together, and I include our 

supporters in that. You’re a part of this team as much as 

we are, and with a collective push this evening we will 

take those crucial steps and start achieving results. 

We’re not looking at referees, opposition, weather or 

any of those excuses that people come out with in these 

situations. 

It’s all down to us. 

Thanks again for your support, and enjoy the game. 

DIMES 

STEVE DIAMOND - DIRECTOR OF RUGBY NOTES 

5

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9

TOM 

“ 

GORDON 

I’m from a small farming 

community in the Bay of Plenty” 

Attaining almost instant cult hero status on Tyneside , foraging flanker Tom Gordon says Newcastle 

Falcons feels like a natural fit as he looks to take his career onto the next level. 

A United Rugby Championship title winner last season It’s all a far cry from his rural upbringing on New 

with Glasgow Warriors, the 27-year-old has brought Zealand’s North Island, with Gordon explaining: “I’m 

his all-action style south of the border in what looks from a small farming community called Galatea in the 

like being another transfer master stroke by Steve Bay of Plenty, and I was brought up on a dairy farm. 

Diamond. 

I have three brothers who are triplets, they are two 

years younger than me and it was a great childhood 

“At the point when I signed for Newcastle I have to for us all on the farm. 

admit I didn’t know a huge amount about them, but as 

soon as the word got out I had loads of messages from “It was a wild household as you can imagine with so 

people saying it’s a great city, they’re lovely people at many kids flying about, but with having a farm as your 

the club and you’ll be a good fit there,” says the Kiwi, back yard there was a lot of space to run around and 

who qualifies for Scotland through his grandparents. play two-on-two rugby. Like pretty much every kid 

in New Zealand I was into rugby and looked up to All 

“Those sorts of comments were nice to hear, and Blacks like Richie McCaw, but outside of that it would 

I have to say after a few months of being here be a bit of gaming, WWE, lego and just running around 

everything that was said about the place is true.” the place with my mates and my brothers. 

PLAYER INTERVEIW -TOM GORDON 

11

“I just wanted to go off and explore” 

“I went to a school called St Paul’s 

Collegiate in Hamilton, where I 

boarded for five years. It’s not a 

massively renowned rugby school 

but they’ve had a few guys come 

through, and I guess the one people 

might know more recently is the All 

Black hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho. I 

was actually at school with Fergus 

Burke who now plays fly-half for 

Saracens. He was a couple of years 

below me, but he was a cheeky 

little junior even then. I think I was 

a decent student, overall. I was a 

prefect, head of my house and in 

my last year I captained the first 

XV. I was alright academically, but I 

didn’t go on to uni or anything like 

that. 

“My first exposure to senior rugby 

would have been at my local club, 

Galatea, when I went home from 

school, so at 15 or 16 I’d be playing a 

few games of men’s rugby, getting 

bashed by 40-year-old blokes! They 

weren’t playing at a very high level, 

but just in terms of getting used 

to playing against grown men I 

suppose it was useful, as well as 

“I arrived in December 2014, and 

“I’ve had lots of 

pretty quickly the word came round 

that I was eligible for Scotland. I 

opportunities got picked up so to play eay 

in some of 

the regional age-grade stuff for 

into my career” 

Edinburgh, and from there I got 

being a lot of fun.” 

Then came the decision that would 

change Gordon’s life, with the 

teenager embarking on a ‘gap year’ 

which has so far lasted a decade. 

“I just wanted to go off and explore, 

and we’d had people come over to 

New Zealand when they were fresh 

out of school in the UK,” he recalls. 

“I thought it would be cool to go 

and try it over there for a bit, and 

with having my mum’s family up 

in Scotland it just all kind of came 

together. My grandparents on my 

mum’s side moved out from there 

to New Zealand in the 1950s, so 

it was cool to meet some of my 

mum’s cousins and things like that 

when I flew over. 

“I stayed with one of my uncles 

when I first came to the UK, and he 

was the President of Currie Rugby 

Club in Edinburgh. He gave me a job 

working on their farm and another 

uncle had a property renovation 

business, so I did some labouring 

for him. I knew about Currie, I knew 

it was a good club and nine or ten 

days after getting off the plane I 

was playing my first game for them 

at the age of 17! 

picked for Scotland Under-18s. 

“I had to learn 

the Scottish 

national anthem 

at pretty 

short notice!” 

I actually had to learn the words for 

the national anthem at pretty short 

notice, but it was cool to be involved 

with all that. 

“People might think the labouring 

would be good fitness for playing 

rugby, but on the same note when 

you’re going to Edinburgh Academy 

training on an evening and most 

of the kids are fresh from a day 

at uni, I’d be absolutely shattered 

from carrying stuff round all day. It 

was pretty hard, to be honest, and 

I wasn’t that keen on going in the 

gym! 

PLAYER INTERVEIW - TOM GORDON 

13

“Playing for Currie was good fun, and we made a 

couple of semi-finals in the Scottish club comp. It was 

really useful just in terms of getting bashed about a 

bit and getting used to the physicality of the adult 

game, and they’re a great club. They actually won 

the Scottish Premiership last season, although I don’t 

think Scotty MacLeod was too happy cos they beat his 

Hawick team in the final! 

Deciding that this was his moment to move on, Gordon 

says: “I actually had the option to stay on at Glasgow for 

another year, but I thought I’m coming into the prime of 

my career and I need to be playing regularly. It felt like a 

waste to be sat in the stands there, so I put the feelers 

out for a move. Newcastle came up pretty quickly as an 

option, and when I spoke to Steve Diamond I just liked 

the sound of what he had to say.” 

“I’m enjoying the Premiership and being able to play on a 

consistent basis. I’m playing against new teams for me, 

seeing new grounds, and it just freshens things up a bit. 

I actually enjoy the league, although I feel like the pace is 

a bit slower than the URC. With me starting pre-season 

a little late I was a bit concerned my fitness wouldn’t be 

good enough during the early weeks of the campaign, 

but in reality it’s been fine. 


“I’d played a bit of senior rugby in New Zealand with 

Galatea but this was a few levels up, and I think it 

helped my development as well as the academy 

stuff I was doing at Edinburgh. I never played any 

first team rugby for Edinburgh, but I was in the 

same academy group there as Murray McCallum and 

Cammy Hutchison, who are now my team-mates at 

Newcastle.” 

A sliding doors moment saw Gordon heading down 

the M8 to rekindle his passion for the pro game, 

explaining: “I was in Edinburgh’s academy until 2017, 

I played Scotland Under-20s that year but Edinburgh 

didn’t want to take me on. My academy manager 

asked Glasgow if they wanted me, and from there I 

was in. Glasgow just felt like more of a natural home 

for me, if I’m honest. Richard Cockerill was coach of 

Edinburgh at the time, and I was like ‘if this is what 

professional rugby’s like, I don’t want to play it’. 

“It was pretty bad there, to be honest, but then I went 

to Glasgow and met their coach, Dave Rennie, and he 

just reinvigorated my enjoyment for the sport. I don’t 

know if it’s because he’s a Kiwi or just had a different 

way of doing things, but all of a sudden I was just 

thinking ‘this is fun again, this is what I love about the 

game’, and I was in my element. 

“I did six seasons with Glasgow in total, and really 

enjoyed it. They had licence to run the ball, to move it 

around, and to me that’s what rugby is. I don’t want to 

be setting up box kicks all day long – it’s boring – but at 

Glasgow we had the freedom to have a crack. 

“We won the URC title last season, which was great 

to be a part of, but obviously with the depth of squad 

they’ve got I knew my chances there were going to 

be limited. That was a bit frustrating, but at the same 

time I was at peace with it because the guys who were 

getting in ahead of me like Rory Darge were doing an 

amazing job. I understood it, and at the same time I 

also felt that when I did get a chance I’d contributed 

pretty well to the team.” 

“I had the 

option to stay 

at Glasgow for 

another year” 

Unperturbed by the Falcons’ win-less league season, 

he adds: “I just thought of it as a fresh start, and to me 

it didn’t matter what had happened to Newcastle or 

happened to me the season before. It’s irrelevant, and 

I just felt that with the opportunity of some consistent 

game time I could make a strong contribution for the 

Falcons and show people what I’m about. 

“Away from rugby I’m having a great time, too. I’m living 

in a tiny little village in Northumberland, I like the whole 

outdoors side of things and I’m loving exploring the 

region during my time off. I understand Adam Radwan 

is into his fishing and hunting so I keep pestering him 

to take me out and show me some spots. I just like this 

part of the UK, and with having been in Scotland for so 

long the weather doesn’t worry me at all! I’m big on my 

history, too, so I like going around some of the castles 

and up to Lindisfarne, Hadrian’s Wall and stuff. I just find 

it interesting, and Beamish Museum was pretty cool.” 

Flying into his time with the Falcons and earning rave 

reviews in the media from Diamond, Gordon says: “I 

haven’t actually seen those comments from Dimes 

cos I’m not a big follower of the press, but yeah I guess 

that’s nice to hear. It definitely feels good to be valued a 

bit more and to be thought of as a more integral figure, 

but on the same note I wouldn’t say that side of things 

was a particularly big motivator for me. I just want to 

play some good footy and help the Falcons to build 

something, because there are so many good people 

here who believe in the place. 

“It’ll click 

eventually, and 

someone will 

feel it.” 

“We’re slowly improving, and we’re starting to be 

more competitive. We’ve shown bits in a couple of our 

games which to me suggests we’re not that far away, 

but of course you’ve got to temper that with things 

like the Leicester game when we were a mile off. That 

was frustrating but the group feels very together, and 

everyone is committed to making the improvements 

we know we need. It’ll click eventually, and someone 

will feel it.” 

In an era of fantasy rugby and forensic analysis where 

spreadsheet columns become discussion points, 

Gordon has earned a burgeoning reputation as the 

Premiership’s top tackler. Not that the man himself is 

putting too much stock on it. 

“Yeah, I’ve heard the stats about being the top tackler,” 

he chuckles. “On the one hand you think ok that’s kind of 

cool, but on the other hand it’s an easy one to get if your 

team hasn’t had the ball as much. So it’s kind of mixed 

feelings, to be honest. 

“I guess it’s nice to see your name up there and I always 

pride myself on my work rate, so maybe I’ll make that a 

goal of mine to be the top tackler in the Premiership at 

the end of the season. At the same time, I’ll be honest 

and say it’s not something I’m really thinking about in 

any conscious way. I just want to play well and be part of 

a successful team here at Newcastle.” 


14 

15

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UIZ 

QUIZ TIME 

Test your knowledge on all things rugby with our ten-question 

teaser. Answers are upside down at the bottom of the page. 

Q1 From which Major League Rugby team 

did Ethan Grayson join Newcastle Falcons? 

Q2 At which ground do Exeter Chiefs play 

their home games? 

Q3 Which former Newcastle Falcons 

player is pictured here? 

Q4 For which French club does Owen 

Farrell now play? 

Q5 ‘Moms Lanyard’ is an anagram of 

which Newcastle Falcons player’s name? 

Q6 ‘Brave Lupus’ are the national club 

rugby champions of which country? 

Q7 What was the name of the BBC’s 

rugby highlights show which ran from 

1966 until 1997? 

Q8 Which Newcastle Falcons player is 

pictured here? 

Q9 Which two Welsh teams do Newcastle 

Falcons play in this season’s EPCR 

Challenge Cup? 

Q10 How many men’s Rugby World Cup 

finals have England played in? 

QUIZ 

ANSWERS:1 San Diego Legion, 2 Sandy Park, 3 Warren Britz, 4 Racing 92, 5 Sammy Arnold, 6 Japan, 7 Rugby Special, 8 

Tom Gordon, 9 Ospreys and Dragons, 10 Three. 

19

21 

ONLY SPORT CAN DO

COMMUNITY 

RUGBY TAKES 

OVER AT 

EMMANUEL 

COLLEGE 

This half term has been an exciting time at Emmanuel 

College as rugby has made its mark on the Year 7 girls’ 

curriculum. 

Over 100 girls have taken part in the Women’s Rugby 

World Cup Girls Impact 2025 programme, with many 

experiencing the sport for the first time. 

It’s fantastic to see so many students eager to learn and 

enjoy the game. 

COMMUNITY NEWS 

The sessions have not only introduced the girls to rugby, 

but have also provided an invaluable opportunity to 

support and empower the school’s teaching staff. 

Through hands-on experience, staff have gained the 

confidence and skills needed to deliver rugby lessons 

themselves in the future. This approach ensures 

the sport will have a lasting presence in the school, 

fostering a positive and inclusive rugby culture that will 

grow in the coming years. 

This initiative marks the beginning of a larger 

journey, building excitement as we look ahead to 

the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which is set to kick 

off in Sunderland next August. 

The exposure the girls are getting now is not only 

great for their physical development and teamwork 

skills, but also aligns perfectly with the buzz 

building around women’s rugby nationwide. 

Keep an eye out for more updates as we move 

closer to next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup. 


22 

23

OCTOBER 

HALF-TERM 

COACHING 

CAMPS 

Newcastle Rugby Foundation are excited to announce 

that October half-term camps have launched, and 

places are now available! 

The camps will be held at Kingston Park Stadium, Carlisle 

RFC and Consett RFC over the school holiday period. 

October half-term camp details: 

Oct 28: Kingston Park – £27, 6-14 years, boys and girls. 

LEARNING DISABILITY 

SESSIONS 

Project Rugby Learning Disability Sessions are set 

to resume this autumn at the Tyneside Badminton 

Centre. 

Starting on Monday November 4, these 

sessions will run from 5pm to 6pm, providing a 

fantastic opportunity for individuals to engage 

in rugby training in a supportive and inclusive 

environment. 

To find out more don’t hesitate to 

get in touch with stephen.parsons@ 

newcastle-falcons.co.uk. 

Oct 29: Kingston Park – £27, 6-14 years, boys and girls. 

Oct 30: Carlisle RFC - £27, 6-14 years, boys and girls. 

Oct 31: Consett - £27, 6-14 years, boys and girls. 

Each camp will run from 10am to 3pm and includes a 

range of rugby skills, games and activities which we see 

as the perfect way to balance learning, improving and 

enjoyment. 


Camp participants will receive five hours of coaching 

from DBS-cleared, RFU-qualified Newcastle Rugby 

Foundation coaches. 

For more information email 

nrf@newcastle-falcons.co.uk. 

FOLLOW THE 

FOUNDATION ON 

SOCIAL MEDIA 

@NRFoundation_ 

@newcastlerugbyfoundation 

Newcastle Rugby Foundation 

Newcastle-Rugby-Foundation 


24 

25

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FRIDAY 

SATURDAY 

SUNDAY 

BELOW 

NEWCASTE FALCONS WING 

ADAM RADWAN 

BELOW 

SALE SHARKS WING 

TOM ROEBUCK 

BELOW 

SARACENS SCRUM-HALF 

IVAN VAN ZYL 

BELOW 

HARLEQUINS FLANKER 

JACK KENNINGHAM 

BELOW 

LEICESTER TIGERS PROP 

DAN COLE 

GALLAGHER 

PREMIERSHIP 

PREVIEWS 

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 

V EXETER CHIEFS 

Exeter Chiefs have slipped to five 

successive Gallagher Premiership 

Rugby defeats since beating Harlequins 

58-26 at Sandy Park in May. 

The Chiefs have won just once 

away from home in any competition 

in 2024, beating Gloucester at 

Kingsholm in Premiership Rugby on 

April 28. 

The Chiefs have won their last 

three fixtures against the Falcons 

since Newcastle’s 24-21 victory at 

Kingston Park in November 2022. 

Newcastle and Sale have made 

the most tackles in this season’s 

Gallagher Premiership, with both 

standing on 649, an average of 

more than 162 per game. 

Falcons flanker Tom Gordon is the 

league’s top tackler, making a total 

of 68 in his four games so far. 

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 

V SALE SHARKS 

Northampton Saints’ four games in 

Gallagher Premiership Rugby have 

all been won by the home side on 

the day. 

The Saints have won their last 11 

Premiership Rugby matches at 

cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens 

since Bristol beat them there on 

October 21, 2023. 

Sale Sharks’ only defeat in the first 

four rounds was 26-45 at Saracens 

in Round 2. The Sharks have lost 

their last two away games since 

beating Saracens at StoneX 

Stadium last May. 

The last four meetings between 

the two clubs have all gone the way 

of home-field advantage, whilst 

the Sharks’ most recent success at 

cinch Stadium was by a single point 

in February 2022. 

BRISTOL BEARS 

V SARACENS 

Bristol Bears’ only defeat in their last 

five Gallagher Premiership Rugby 

matches was 41-44 at home to 

Gloucester in 

Round 2. 

The Bears have lost their last two 

Premiership Rugby matches at 

Ashton Gate, and have not lost three 

in a row at the venue since they were 

relegated in 2017. 

Saracens’ 100% winning record 

in Gallagher Premiership Rugby 

ended with their 10-17 reversal at 

Harlequins last Sunday. 

Saracens’ only home defeat in 2024 

was 10-20 to Sale in Round 18 last 

season. Sarries have won their last 

six fixtures with Bristol since the 

Bears’ 16-12 win behind closed doors 

at Ashton Gate in August 2020. 

HARLEQUINS 

V BATH RUGBY 

Harlequins’ four fixtures in 

Gallagher Premiership Rugby have 

all been won by the home team 

on the day, whilst the Londoners’ 

only home loss in their last five 

Premiership games was to Bristol 

in Round 18 last season. 

Bath Rugby have lost just once in 

the first four rounds of Gallagher 

Premiership Rugby - 26-36 at home 

to Bristol in Round 3. 

Bath have won their last four 

away games in Premiership Rugby, 

whilst another victory would equal 

their best away sequence in the 

tournament set in 2004. 

The last six meetings between the 

two clubs have been evenly split 

with three wins apiece, but Bath 

have been defeated on their last 

three visits to the Twickenham 

Stoop. 

LEICESTER TIGERS 

V GLOUCESTER RUGBY 

Saracens have made the perfect 

start to the new season, recording 

two bonus-point victories against 

Gloucester and Sale. Saracens’ only 

defeat in their last six home games 

in Gallagher Premiership Rugby was 

10-20 to Sale in Round 18 last year. 

Exeter Chiefs have slipped to three 

successive Premiership Rugby 

defeats and have not lost four in 

succession in the competition since 

2015. 

The Chiefs have won only once 

away from home in any competition 

in 2024 - 38-17 over Gloucester 

at Kingsholm in Round 15 of 

Premiership Rugby. 

Saracens’ only loss in their last five 

encounters with Exeter was 10-65 

at Sandy Park in October 2023. The 

Chiefs have been defeated on their 

last five visits to StoneX Stadium. 

GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP PREVIEWS 

29

PLAYER STATS 

Name 

Falcons 

career 

apps 


career 

points 


career 

tries 

Season 

2024-25 

apps 

Season 

2024-25 

points 

Season 

2024-25 

tries 

Name 


career 

apps 


career 

points 


career 

tries 

Season 

2024-25 

apps 

Season 

2024-25 

points 

Season 

2024-25 

tries 

Sammy Arnold 3 0 0 3 0 0 John Kelly 8 0 0 0 0 0 

Josh Bainbridge 8 0 0 0 0 0 Ollie Leatherbarrow 5 0 0 1 0 0 

Finn Baker 1 0 0 0 0 0 Freddie Lockwood 47 15 3 4 0 0 

Rhys Beeckmans 0 0 0 0 0 0 Murray McCallum 23 5 1 4 0 0 

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Management practice at: CyberRM@ajg.com 

Eduardo Bello 16 5 1 0 0 0 Kiran McDonald 16 10 2 3 0 0 

Jamie Blamire 111 140 28 4 0 0 Jack Metcalf 1 0 0 1 0 0 

Adam Brocklebank 129 0 0 4 0 0 Cameron Neild 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Louis Brown 12 15 3 4 0 0 Junior Newton 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Bryan Byrne 19 10 2 0 0 0 Elliott Obatoyinbo 38 15 3 4 0 0 

Tim Cardall 16 5 1 0 0 0 Jacob Oliver 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Callum Chick 151 115 23 4 10 2 Hugh O'Sullivan 15 5 1 0 0 0 

Brett Connon 108 530 3 1 3 0 Richard Palframan 41 0 0 4 0 0 

Luan de Bruin 4 0 0 4 0 0 Reuben Parsons 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Joe Davis 4 0 0 4 0 0 Max Pepper 2 5 1 0 0 0 

Sebastien de Chaves 60 10 2 0 0 0 Adam Radwan 119 275 55 3 0 0 

Connor Doherty 3 0 0 3 0 0 Ben Redshaw 15 15 3 3 5 1 

Ben Douglas 7 5 1 0 0 0 Mike Rewcastle 0 0 0 0 0 0 

James Elliott 10 0 0 0 0 0 Pedro Rubiolo 19 5 1 2 0 0 

Cameron Ellis 0 0 0 0 0 0 Adam Scott 5 0 0 3 0 0 

Ollie Fletcher 16 15 3 4 0 0 Oliver Spencer 12 0 0 2 0 0 

Ethan Grayson 3 14 0 3 14 0 Ben Stevenson 80 95 21 4 0 0 

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FP1406-2024b Exp 16.09.2025 | GGBRUGUK-101728 

Nathan Greenwood 2 5 1 0 0 0 Oscar Stott 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Tom Gordon 4 0 0 4 0 0 Sam Stuart 102 45 9 4 0 0 

Callum Hancock 0 0 0 0 0 0 Marcus Tiffen 9 10 2 0 0 0 

Connor Hancock 0 0 0 0 0 0 Charlie Turnbull 0 0 0 0 0 0 

John Hawkins 17 5 1 4 5 1 Philip van der Walt 56 15 3 3 0 0 

Alex Hearle 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kieran Wilkinson 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Cameron Hutchison 15 0 0 1 0 0 

Isaac Keller 0 0 0 0 0 0 

PLAYER STATS 

33

ALL OUR YESTERDAYS 

Kingsley Hyland’s regular feature takes us back 

to key dates in the club’s history. 

35 YEARS AGO: 

OCTOBER 21, 1989 

GOSFORTH 6-16 ORRELL 

One of the features of pre-professional era rugby was 

club loyalty. Most rugby players played their entire 

careers at the same club. Players would generally only 

move if work took them away from their home area or if 

they wished to test themselves at a higher level. 


Although founded 50 years later than Gosforth, Orrell’s 

upward trajectory in the post-war years mirrored quite 

closely that of their North-East rivals. 

They suspended operations during the war but 

reconstituted once hostilities ceased, and in 1950 

moved to a new ground at Edge Hall Road where they 

enjoyed their best years. They grew rapidly as a club, 

but like Gosforth struggled to improve their fixture list. 

Nevertheless, by the early 1970s they were the top club 

in Lancashire and their victory in the 1972 Lancashire 

Cup Final secured them entry to the National Knockout 

Cup for the following season. 

They famously defeated the mighty Harlequins in the 

second round, inspiring the hugely patronising quote 

from a Quins follower that they ‘had been beaten by a 

lay-by on the M6’. 

By the early 1980s they had become one of the top 

clubs in the north of England, and when the new 

national leagues were formed they found themselves 

in the top division. They were a Division 1 side when they 

travelled to play Gosforth at Percy Park in a friendly 

fixture. In what was proving to be a challenging season 

Gosforth fought manfully to keep the margin of defeat 

respectable. 

The financial challenges facing Gosforth at that time 

were enormous. With no ground of their own gate 

money and bar takings plummeted, and a substantial 

rent payment had to be made to their temporary 

landlords at the coast. There was no corresponding 

fall in outgoings however, and travel to league and cup 

matches blew a substantial hole in an already muchreduced 

budget. 

Above: Neil Frankland 

Following the Orrell match there was a home game 

against Coventry followed by an 800-mile round 

trip for a cup tie against Somerset junior side 

Combe Down, necessitating two nights in a hotel. 

This was followed by a trip to Rugby and another 

overnight hotel stay. After a home league match 

against London Irish there followed the longest 

trip in English club rugby to fulfil the Division 2 

fixture at Plymouth, and two more nights in a 

hotel. It should be remembered that the players 

were all amateurs with full-time jobs, from which 

they had to take time off. 

For the record, the Gosforth team, whose points 

came from two Peter Clark penalties, was as 

follows: 

J.Whisker; D.Ogilvie; R.Wilkinson; F.Short; I.Williams; 

P.Clark; D.Walker; J.Nelson; R.Parker; J.Curry; 

D.Morley; C.Hall; J.Hall; N.Frankland; P.Smith 

There were exceptions, and whilst the game was 

still supposedly totally amateur with a lifetime ban 

likely to follow for any player found to have received 

remuneration or some form of financial inducement 

to play, there was much anecdotal evidence of such 

inducements being offered which might, for example, 

see a Yorkshire farmer secure a job in the City when 

joining one of the top London clubs! 

Despite such one-club loyalty, a look at the Gosforth 

team that lost at Orrell five years earlier on October 

20 1984 gives an indication of the turmoil faced by the 

club in the years prior to the move to Kingston Park. 

The following team included just one player – Chris Hall 

– who would play in the match at Percy Park five years 

later: 

P.Cusack; J.Pollock; A.Tindle; D.Briggs; J.Storey; 

D.Johnson; T.Cleghorn; C.White; J.Chappell; N.Walker; 

H.Nicholson; C.Hall; D.Davidson; S.Edwards; 

G.Smallwood. 

As for Orrell, professional rugby was not kind to them 

and they went the way of a number of other former 

senior clubs in the north. Beset by numerous problems 

and with no long-term investor, they plummeted down 

the leagues. They now ply their trade as a fully amateur 

club at level 9 of the RFU league pyramid. One can only 

speculate whether Newcastle Gosforth would have 

followed this road, but for the committed support of 

the investors that have kept the club afloat. 

Above: Orrell wing, Austin Healey 


34 

35

Below: Simon Mason lifting the Heineken Cup with Ulster 

Proud to be the 

team behind 

your team 

Like rugby, running a business takes a good team of people 

behind you, and we’ve got your back all the way. There’s 

so much in store this season, so keep an eye out for more 

interviews, action with ambassador Jamie George and incredible 

competitions, coming soon… 

30 YEARS AGO: 


NEWCASTLE GOSFORTH 27-6 

NOTTINGHAM 


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With just two wins from their opening five league 

matches this comfortable victory over Nottingham 

brought some respite in what turned out to be a very 

tightly-fought Division 2. 

A poor-quality match with the visitors offering little 

was a personal triumph for full back Simon Mason, who 

kicked 19 points. 

Newcastle led 13-0 at the break with a try from Martin 

Corry, converted by Mason, who also kicked two 

penalties. The visitors threatened briefly early in the 

second half when Ian Stent kicked two penalties to 

narrow the gap to seven points (13-6), but that was 

the end of their resistance and a Tim Penn try and the 

conversion from Mason, who kicked a further three 

penalties, completed the scoring. 

In his one season at the club Mason did not stand out 

but for his consistent goal kicking, but he would later 

join Orrell and Richmond before joining Ulster, with 

whom he won the Heineken Cup in 1999. Qualifying 

through his Irish grandparents he won three caps for 

Ireland in 1999, and after a season with Stade Francais 

he finished his career at Treviso. 

Sadly, the most memorable feature of the game was a 

late red card for Richard Arnold for alleged stamping. 

Red cards were a rarity in those days, but given the 

way he played the game it was something of a surprise 

that this was Arnie’s first dismissal in what was now his 

fourth season at the club. 

Ironically, he was almost certainly an innocent party on 

this occasion. The referee acted on the intervention of 

a touch judge who appeared to be the only person in the 

stadium to have witnessed a boot on head. A spectator 

from Tynedale – no friend of Newcastle Gosforth – 

wrote in support of Arnie before his appearance before 

a disciplinary panel, and there was also support for the 

player from the Nottingham coach. 

But in those days the referee was deemed always to 

be right even when he was wrong, unless it was a case 

of mistaken identity - hardly an option with Arnie! The 

disciplinary panel clearly did not think much of the 

decision either. For an offence which would normally 

attract a 12-week ban they suspended Arnie for just a 

fortnight. 


36 

37

Arnie was not one to do things by halves, 

however. He was sent off again on the last 

day of the season against a London Irish side 

coached by Clive Woodward. There was no 

dispute on this occasion, with Arnie’s forceful 

high tackle coming so late it appeared to have 

arrived from a different time zone. 

On this occasion a lengthy ban did follow, 

meaning that he would miss a sizeable chunk 

of matches at the start of the following 

season. For a team to be without its best 

player for a long period would normally 

be regarded as a major blow, but on this 

occasion it turned out to be hugely fortuitous 

for the club. 

In the summer Arnie signed for First Division 

West Hartlepool. As a result of the ban he had 

not actually played for them when the game 

turned professional and he became one of 

Rob Andrew’s first signings for the fledgling 

Falcons. The fact that he had not played for 

West meant that he did not have to serve the 

then mandatory three-month registration 

period, and so was immediately available to 

play for Newcastle. 

The Newcastle Gosforth team that day was 

as follows: 

S.Mason; D.Casado; R.Wilkinson; 

M.Tetlow;T.Penn; T.Willcox; M.Long; P.Van 

Zandvliet; S.Archer; R.Metcalfe; M.Corry; 

N.Frankland; R.Arnold. 

20 YEARS AGO: 


NEWCASTLE FALCONS 20-20 

SARACENS 

The Falcons’ rapid start to the season, 

which had seen them winning the first three 

matches, two of them away from home, had 

been followed by three successive defeats, 

and they had slipped from the heady heights 

of top of the league to sixth. This draw against 

Saracens arrested the slide ahead of the break 

from the Zurich Premiership for the opening 

Heineken Cup matches. 

The visitors took an early lead when fullback 

Thomas Castaignede seized on a Stuart 

Grimes knock-on before dancing through a 

static defence for a try which he converted. 

The Falcons responded within minutes with a 

converted try of their own. The initial break 

was made by Epi Taione, then, following a ruck, 

the ball was moved wide to the right. Fullback 

Dave Walder came into the line and fed 

Mathew Tait who kicked ahead, gathered the 

kick and touched down spectacularly in the 

corner. Jonny Wilkinson kicked the challenging 

conversion. 

Saracens re-took the lead on 18 minutes with a 

penalty from Robbie Kydd, on as a replacement 

for the injured Castaignede. The visitors were 

dominating possession and territory, and the 

pressure told on 35 minutes when Taione was 

yellow carded for killing the ball. The Falcons 

improved after the break, and when Sarries 

went offside in the shadow of their own posts 

Wilkinson levelled the scores (10-10) with the 

resultant penalty. 

The Falcons looked to have secured the vital 

score when Tait again crossed, but despite 

the touch judge signalling the try referee 

Tony Spreadbury was not happy that the 

teenager had grounded the ball. This of 

course was the era before the introduction 

of the Television Match Official, who might 

otherwise have resolved the issue. 

In the dying moments Wilkinson missed 

with a long-range drop goal attempt and it 

looked as though the home side would pay 

the price when the visitor’s fly-half Mark 

Bartholemeusz succeeded with a drop-goal 

of his own. But the Falcons were not to be 

denied. There was just time for one more 

play, and from the restart they worked the 

ball into the Saracens’ 22 and Wilkinson 

slotted over the equalising drop-goal with 

the last kick of the game. 

The Falcons team was as follows: 

D.Walder; M.Tait; M.Burke; E.Taione; M.Stephenson; 

J.Wilkinson; H.Charlton (rep. 

J.Grindal); J.Isaacson (rep. I.Peel); A.Long 

(rep. M.Thompson); M.Ward (rep. M.Hurter); 

L.Gross (rep. C.Hamilton); M.McCarthy; E.Williamson 

(rep. S.Sititi); C.Charvis. 


This time it was Saracens who responded 

quickly, with hooker Matt Cairns scoring in the 

corner following good work from former Falcon 

Hugh Vyvyan. Kydd converted, and once again 

the scores were level (17-17). 

Left: Epi Taione 

38 

39

WOMEN’S RUGBY 

WORLD CUP 

VOLUNTEER 

OPPORTUNITY 

Northumberland Rugby seek dynamic, committed 

volunteers to join their Lead-up and Legacy 

Programme for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. 

They are looking for applications from the rugby 

community to join the committee to assist with 

the organisation and roll-out of the Women’s Rugby 

Worl Cup 2025 during the lead-up to and, most 

importantly, for the long-term growth of the women 

and girls’ game across Northumberland. 

This is an exciting time with the Women’s World 

Cup opening game to be held at the Stadium of 

Light in Sunderland in August 2025, and a great 

opportunity for us to showcase rugby union across 

Northumberland. 

Northumberland are looking for people who are 

passionate about growing the women’s and girls’ 

game. Applicants must have experience of rugby, be 

strong planners, great communicators and be able 

to work as part of a team. 

If you are interested, please forward your rugby 

experience and a brief outline of why you would like 

to be involved to the chair of this programme, Penny 

Stewart, on Stewart.pen@gmail.com. 

The closing date is 5pm on Friday October 25. If you 

wish to discuss any aspect of the role or project, 

please call Penny on 07835 513 602. 

2025 6 NATIONS 

TICKET RAFFLE 

Northumberland Rugby are delighted to 

announce that their popular international ticket 

raffle is back. 

They have 6 Nations tickets up for grabs, giving 

you the opportunity to see England play France 

and Scotland in February 2025. 

England v France: Allianz Stadium, February 8 

(4.45pm) – 1 set of 4 tickets and 1 set of 2 tickets. 

England v Scotland: Allianz Stadium, February 22 

(4.45pm) – 1 set of 4 tickets and 1 set of 2 tickets. 

Single raffle tickets are priced at £10 each, or 4 

tickets for £30 (£10 saving). 

The closing date for ticket purchases is Monday December 2 at 

4 pm. 

A random draw will take place on the same day at 7pm. All 

winners will be contacted shortly afterwards. 

This competition is supported by Northumberland Rugby’s 

licence for small lotteries which can be viewed on their website, 

and every penny raised will go to support the growth of the 

community game in Northumberland. 

Buy via www.northumberlandrugbyunion.com. 

NORTHUMBERLAND RUGBY UNION 

41

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FROM THE 

PRESS BOX 

By Mark Smith 

Newcastle Falcons media manager 

WHAT DOES RIVALRY IN RUGBY MEAN TO YOU? 

I only ask because Premiership Rugby 

seem keen on pushing it as they aim to 

grow the reach of the sport. 

Speaking purely in a personal capacity 

here and not on behalf of the club, 

I’ve got no issue with it so long as 

the ‘rivalry’ is genuine. By which I 

mean developed organically, rather 

than behind the desk of a marketing 

department. 

Round four saw the Gallagher 

Premiership’s ‘Derby Weekend’, which 

is all harmless enough and did achieve 

its aim of providing a hook on which to 

help sell the five matches. Predictably 

there was the odd barb about Sale and 

Newcastle not being a derby. In fact, it’s 

a shorter distance from Twickenham 

to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium than 

it is from Kingston Park to Salford, but 

the ‘derby’ tag was for the whole round 

of matches rather than that specific 

encounter. 

We even had Steve Diamond and Alex 

Sanderson (pictured) going head-tohead 

pre-match with a joint interview 

for TNT Sports and a couple of national 

newspapers, which again generated 

some precious media mileage. 

Leading up to the interview Dimes said 

to me words along the lines of “They 

seem pretty keen on pushing this 

while animosity line, but Al Sanderson 

is actually one of my best mates. Am 

I meant to pretend I hate him? I don’t 

think I can do that.” 

As much as Dimes is a self-proclaimed 

showman, the one thing you can 

guarantee is that he’s genuine. And of 

course, in Premiership Rugby’s defence, 

nobody there was seriously suggesting 

that he and his opposite number should 

pretend they’re not friends. 

Rivalry based on mutual respect 

might not be as sexy as one founded 

on hatred, but the general public are 

sophisticated enough these days to 

spot a manufactured controversy. It 

would be a fool’s errand to even try 

it, but where rivalry genuinely exists, 

we should not shirk away from it. By 

all means use it to sell the sport, but 

let’s not pretend this is WWE wrestling 

where the outcome is pre-determined 

and the plot lines workshopped like a 

Coronation Street script. 

Likewise, let’s not pretend it’s football, 

even if the riches and endless column 

inches of the Premier League seem like 

an admirable aspiration. I say that on 

the back of headlines surrounding the 

prospect of away ends in rugby – not 

something I have a problem with, 

per se. 

The marketing folk believe having away 

fans sitting together will help generate 

better atmosphere on game days, and 

to be honest I can see where they’re 

coming from. The key for me is that it 

must remain optional, and any away 

fans wanting to sit in any area of a 

stadium are still free to do so. 

For many people part of the attraction 

of following their team on the road is 

the in-ground banter and camaraderie 

with home supporters, which risks 

being lost if segregation is forced upon 

us. 

In its desire to take the best of other 

sports, rugby could lose the best of 

what it already has. 

FROM THE PRESS BOX - WITH MARK SMITH 

45

SUSTAINABILITY AT NEWCASTLE RUGBY LIMITED: 

Championing the Future of Sport and the Planet 

Another team 

you can count on 

Nuffield Health Newcastle Hospital 

At Newcastle Rugby Limited, we are committed to driving sustainability in the world of 

sports and entertainment. Our vision extends beyond the thrill of the game, focusing 

on the long-term well-being of our planet, our community, and future generations. 

Here are our key messages on sustainability: 

1. Greening the Game: 

We are actively reducing our carbon footprint through energy-efficient 

technologies and renewable energy sources. From LED floodlighting to future 

planning for solar panels, we’re dedicated to minimising our impact on the 

environment. 

2. Waste Reduction: 

We’re tackling waste head-on by implementing recycling programs, reducing 

single-use plastics, and encouraging fans to join us on our journey. Together, 

we aim to create a cleaner, greener stadium experience. 

3. Food Waste: 

We have reduced our food waste and all our products are UK sourced. 

Ultimately, locally sourced food products policy reflects a commitment to 

fostering local economies, reducing environmental impact, and providing 

consumers with fresh and high-quality food options. It can also be tailored 

to the specific goals and circumstances of the organisation or community 

implementing it. 

4. Biodiversity and Green Spaces: 

Our stadium isn’t just a venue; it’s a hub for nature. We’re nurturing green 

spaces around the stadium, creating habitats for local wildlife, and enhancing 

the overall quality of life in our neighbourhood. 

5. Inclusivity and Accessibility: 

We’re ensuring everyone can enjoy the excitement of our games by prioritising 

accessibility and inclusivity in our stadium design. From accessible seating to 

quiet break out spaces, we’re fostering an inclusive fan experience. 

We’ve been providing outstanding private healthcare to people in the 

North East for over 40 years. You can trust our team of dedicated experts 

who offer a wide range of treatments including: 

• Hip and knee surgery 

• Joint preservation surgery 

• Cataract surgery 

• Neck and spinal surgery 

• Men’s health – bladder and prostate 

• Women’s health – breast screening. 

To find out more call 0808 149 3239 

or visit nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/newcastle-upon-tyne 

6. Future-Proofing Sport 

Sustainability isn’t just a trend; it’s the future of sports and entertainment. 

By adopting eco-friendly practices, we’re safeguarding the longevity of our 

stadium and the sports we all love. 

7. Inspiring Change: 

Our Stadium is more than a venue; it’s a platform for positive change. We’re 

committed to inspiring fans, partners, and the sports industry to embrace 

sustainability and make a lasting impact. 

Join us on this exciting journey towards a more sustainable future. Together, we can 

make every game a win for both our teams and the planet. Newcastle Rugby Limited: 

Where Passion Meets Sustainability.

CLUB NEWS 

ALL’S WELL 

THAT ENDS WELL 

COMMUNITY 

CURTAIN RAISER 

CLUB NEWS 

Everyone lived happily ever after in this Disney story, 

with last weekend seeing the wedding of Martyn Disney 

and fiancée Michaelle. 

Martyn was the Leicester Tigers supporter who left 

Kingston Park on a stretcher at our last home game, 

having taken part in the half-time ‘Falcons Flyer’ running 

challenge. 

Dressed as Princess Jasmine for his stag do in Newcastle, 

Martyn had just finished his length of the Kingston Park 

pitch when best man Sam Myring took it upon himself to 

put in what he believed to be a playful tackle. 

A jovial situation quickly became serious when medical 

staff were rushed into action, prompting a delayed start 

to the second half as Martyn was given the best possible 

care and taken to hospital. 

Thankfully a CT scan quickly gave him the all-clear and 

the stag party were able to resume their pre-nuptial 

festivities, and last weekend saw the happy couple tying 

the knot as planned. 

Best man Sam (pictured being strangled by Martyn!) was 

there to ensure all went smoothly, with all concerned 

taking the time to thank Newcastle Falcons for their 

swift and thorough intervention. 

October 5 marked a memorable day for the Newcastle 

Falcons community as over 200 rugby supporters joined us 

at Kingston Park for an exciting curtain-raiser ahead of the 

Gallagher Premiership match with Leicester Tigers. 

The Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland match between 

Yarm Rugby and Seaton Carew RUFC showcased the best 

of local rugby, with Yarm securing a 71-5 win. 

The real success of the day, however, was the sense of 

community and shared passion for the sport. Both teams 

played with heart, whilst their loyal supporters cheered 

them on in great spirits. 

Families, friends and rugby enthusiasts enjoyed the lively 

atmosphere, making the day about much more than just 

the game. 

The curtain raiser set the stage for an exciting afternoon, 

leading up to the main event where Newcastle Falcons 

hosted Leicester Tigers. 

On behalf of the whole club, we’d like to say a massive 

thank you to everyone who joined us, making it a day to 

remember for all. We look forward to many more moments 

like this in the future. 

TRIAL TRIO SIGN UP 

Following successful trials throughout pre-season, 

Newcastle Falcons have signed centre Cameron Ellis, 

flanker Harrison Wood and prop Oscar Stott to their 

senior academy squad on one-year deals. 

Centre Ellis (20) is at Newcastle University having 

attended Harrow School, and came through London 

Irish’s academy, helping them to win the Premiership 

U18s Academy League final in 2023. 

Wood (18) is a Scotland Under-18s international who 

was born and raised in Edinburgh, representing George 

Watson’s College, Watsonians RFC and having the 

ability to play on either flank. 

Completing the trio is loose-head prop Stott (22), who 

was capped by England Students in 2023 when they 

beat France away. 

The 6 foot 1 scrummager hails from York and also plays 

for Durham University in BUCS Super Rugby. 

All three players have been with the Falcons throughout 

the bulk of their pre-season preparations, with director 

of rugby Steve Diamond saying: “They’ve worked really 

hard and deserve their shot. 

“We’ll always keep an open mind on recruitment, we’ll 

cast the net far and wide and we’ll reward lads who 

come in and show us that they’ve got something about 

them. 

“There’s a lot of hard work ahead for Cam, Harrison 

and Oscar to push on in this environment and take the 

next steps, but they’ve got a great opportunity and I’m 

looking forward to seeing how they progress.” 

CLUB NEWS 

49

PARTNERS 

& Sponsors 

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 

2024-25 HOSPITALITY 

PACKAGES 

Discover 

SCAN TO FIND OUT MORE 

We have several great packages available including 

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tickets-and-hospitality/hospitality to find out more. 

All our hospitality bookings are handled by our commercial 

team. To book or request additional details please contact 

the team by emailing 

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or call them on 0191 214 2892. 

SEASONAL 

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NEWCASTLE FALCONS 2024 - 25 

FIRST TEAM 

PLAYERS 

SAMMY 

ARNOLD 

CENTRE 

BORN: 8/4/96 

HEIGHT: 1.82M (6FT) 

WEIGHT: 102KG (16ST 1) 

HONOURS: IRELAND 

AVAILABLE TO 

SPONSOR 

TIM 

CARDALL 

LOCK 

BORN: 13/1/97 

HEIGHT: 1.98M (6FT 6) 

WEIGHT: 121KG (19ST) 

HONOURS: ENGLAND STUDENTS 

AVAILABLE TO 

SPONSOR 

CALLUM 

CHICK 

BACK ROW 

BORN: 25/11/96 



HONOURS: ENGLAND 

SPONSORED BY 

Geoff & Marie 

Penrice 

JOSH 

BAINBRIDGE 

BACK ROW 

BORN: 17/04/96 

HEIGHT: 1.83M (6 FT) 

WEIGHT: 103KG (16 ST 3) 

HONOURS: ENGLAND U20S 

EDUARDO 

BELLO 

PROP 

BORN: 27/11/95 



HONOURS: ARGENTINA 

BRETT 

CONNON 

FLY-HALF 

BORN: 29/08/96 



HONOURS: IRELAND U20 

LUAN 

DE BRUIN 

PROP 

BORN: 13/02/93 

HEIGHT: 1.83M (6 FT) 


HONOURS: SOUTH AFRICA U20 

SPONSORED BY 

SPONSORED BY 

AVAILABLE TO 

SPONSOR 

AVAILABLE TO 

SPONSOR 

JAMIE 

BLAMIRE 

HOOKER 

BORN: 22/12/97 




ADAM 

BROCKLEBANK 

PROP 

BORN: 06/09/95 




SEBASTIAN 

DE CHAVES 

LOCK 

BORN: 30/10/90 



HONOURS: SOUTH AFRICA U20 

CONNOR 

DOHERTY 

CENTRE 

BORN: 18/7/2000 




SPONSORED BY 

AVAILABLE TO 

SPONSOR 

AVAILABLE TO 

SPONSOR 

AVAILABLE TO 

SPONSOR 

LOUIS 

BROWN 

FULL-BACK 

BORN: 17/2/98 



HONOURS: ENGLAND COUNTIES U18 

SPONSORED BY 

BRYAN 

BYRNE 

HOOKER 

BORN: 09/9/93 

HEIGHT: 1.78M (5FT 10) 



JAMES 

ELLIOTT 

SCRUM-HALF 

BORN: 29/08/98 

HEIGHT: 1.77M (5FT 10) 



SPONSORED BY 

OLLIE 

FLETCHER 

HOOKER 

BORN: 09/09/02 




AVAILABLE TO 

SPONSOR 

Oakes Energy + 

0800 Repair 

AVAILABLE TO 

SPONSOR

TOM 

GORDON 

BACK ROW 

BORN: 30/01/97 

HEIGHT: 1.81M (5FT 11) 


HONOURS: SCOTLAND U20 

ETHAN 

GRAYSON 

CENTRE/FLY-HALF 

BORN: 15/04/2002 



HONOURS: ENGLAND U20 

MURRAY 

MCCALLUM 

PROP 

BORN: 16/03/96 


WEIGHT: 126KG (19 STONE 12) 

HONOURS: SCOTLAND 

KIRAN 

MCDONALD 

LOCK 

BORN: 01/11/94 



AVAILABLE TO 

SPONSOR 

AVAILABLE TO 

SPONSOR 

AVAILABLE TO 

SPONSOR 

AVAILABLE TO 

SPONSOR 

JOHN 

HAWKINS 

LOCK/BACK ROW 

BORN: 11/11/96 




ALEX 

HEARLE 

WING/CENTRE 

BORN: 08/11/98 



JACK 

METCALF 

FULL-BACK/WING/CENTRE 

BORN: 20/04/01 



CAMERON 

NEILD 

BACK ROW 

BORN: 06/09/94 




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CAMERON 

HUTCHISON 

CENTRE 

BORN: 01/06/98 

HEIGHT: 1.82M (6 FEET) 

WEIGHT: 102KG (16 STONE 1) 


JOHN 

KELLY 

LOCK/BACK ROW 

BORN: 11/10/95 



ELLIOTT 

OBATOYINBO 

FULL-BACK 

BORN: 09/10/98 




HUGH 

O’SULLIVAN 

SCRUM-HALF 

BORN: 24/02/98 




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OLLIE 

LEATHERBARROW 

BACK ROW 

BORN: 08/04/02 




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FREDDIE 

LOCKWOOD 

BACK ROW 

BORN: 31/12/00 




RICHARD 

PALFRAMAN 

PROP 

BORN: 20/12/93 



MAX 

PEPPER 

SCRUM-HALF/WING 

BORN: 09/05/2001 



HONOURS: GB 7S 

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ADAM 

RADWAN 

WING 

BORN: 30/12/97 




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The 

Blackbirds 

PEDRO 

RUBIOLO 

BACK ROW/LOCK 

BORN: 21/12/02 



HONOURS: ARGENTINA 

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FIRST TEAM 

STAFF 

ADAM 

SCOTT 

LOCK 

BORN: 27/11/01 



BEN 

STEVENSON 

WING/CENTRE 

BORN: 19/07/98 




MARK 

LAYCOCK 

PERFORMANCE MANAGER 

SPONSORED BY 

SPONSORED BY 

STEVE 

DIAMOND 


SAM 

STUART 

SCRUM-HALF 

BORN: 27/09/91 




MARCUS 

TIFFEN 

BACK-ROW 

BORN: 03/09/02 



ALAN 

DICKENS 

SENIOR COACH 

MICKY 

WARD 

SENIOR COACH 

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PHILLIP 

VAN DER WALT 

BACK-ROW 

BORN: 14/07/89 



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KIERAN 

WILKINSON 

FLY-HALF 

BORN: 3/10/99 

HEIGHT: 1.79M (5FT 11) 



SPONSORED BY 

TOM 

WILLIAMS 

ATTACK AND BACKS 

COACH 

LEE 

DICKSON 

SKILLS CONSULTANT 

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SCOTT 

MACLEOD 

LINE-OUT CONSULTANT 

STEVE 

BREMNER 

HEAD OF ANALYSIS 

JOHN 

STOKOE 

HEAD OF RUGBY OPERATIONS 

DERMOT 

AUSTIN 

SENIOR PHYSIO 

MATT 

HODKINSON 

PERFORMANCE ANALYST 

KEVIN 

MCSHANE 

HEAD OF ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE 

JONNY 

MARKS 

FIRST TEAM PHYSIO 

RACHEL 

SCURFIELD 

LEAD DOCTOR 

LEWIS 

WILLIAMS 

SENIOR STRENGTH & CONDITIONING 

COACH 

SHAUN 

MCLAREN 

SENIOR STRENGTH & CONDITIONING 

COACH 

DEAN 

SHIPSEY 

MATCH-DAY DOCTOR 

ANDY 

RAMSHAW 

MATCH-DAY DOCTOR 

TOM 

ROBERTSON 

DATA ANALYST 

RHYS 

GRIFFITHS 

HEAD PHYSIO 

MATT 

GLOVER 

ALAN 

BASKERVILLE 

LINDSAY 

MCNAUGHTON 

KIT CO-ORDINATOR KIT CO-ORDINATOR PERFORMANCE NUTRITIONIST


SENIOR ACADEMY 

SQUAD 

RHYS 

BEECKMANS 

FINN 

BAKER 

LOCK 

BORN: 17/10/04 




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JOE 

DAVIS 

CENTRE 

SCRUM-HALF 

BORN: 8/1/06 BORN: 31/12/05 

HEIGHT: 1.82M (6FT) HEIGHT: 1.68M (5FT 5) 

WEIGHT: 93KG (14ST 9) WEIGHT: 74KG (11ST 9) 


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CONNOR 

HANCOCK 

PROP 

BORN: 10/11/00 

HEIGHT: 182CM (6FT) 



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JUNIOR 

NEWTON 

FLY-HALF 

BORN: 11/09/05 

HEIGHT: 170CM (5FT 7) 

WEIGHT: 170CM (5FT 7) 

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ISAAC 

KELLER 

PROP 

BORN: 30/03/05 




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JACOB 

OLIVER 

HOOKER 

BORN: 15/03/05 

HEIGHT: 1.77M (5FT 10) 



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BEN 

DOUGLAS 

SCRUM-HALF 

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CAMERON 

ELLIS 

CENTRE 

BORN: 22/9/04 



REUBEN 

PARSONS 

BACK-ROW 

BORN: 19/09/05 



BEN 

REDSHAW 

CENTRE/FULL-BACK 

BORN: 10/01/05 




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JOAN MILNE 

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SPONSORED BY 

Brian Hodgkinson 

& Susan Lawson 

NATHAN 

GREENWOOD 

WING 

BORN: 20/11/03 



HONOURS: GB 7S 

CALLUM 

HANCOCK 

PROP 

BORN: 10/11/00 

HEIGHT: 182CM (6FT) 



MIKE 

REWCASTLE 

PROP 

BORN: 17/05/04 




Oli 

SPENCER 

FULL-BACK 

BORN: 22/2/04 




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SPONSORED BY

OSCAR 

STOTT 

PROP 

BORN: 11/11/01 




CHARLIE 

TURNBULL 

BACK ROW 

BORN: 02/10/05 

HEIGHT: 185CM (6FT 1) 


NICK 

TODD 

ACADEMY ANALYST 

MICHAEL 

FERGUSON 

HEAD ACADEMY 

STRENGTH & 

CONDITIONING COACH 

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HARRISON 

WOOD 

BACK ROW 

BORN: 24/08/06 




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SENIOR ACADEMY 

STAFF 

JOE 

MARTIN 

JUNIOR ACADEMY ATHLETIC 

DEVELOPMENT COACH 

CATHERINE 

BOAL 

HEAD ACADEMY PHYSIO 

JAMES 

PONTON 

HEAD OF ACADEMY 

PJ 

BUTLER 

U18 LEAD ACADEMY COACH 

ROSS 

GRAHAM 

JUNIOR ACADEMY PHYSIO 

JACK 

DEAN 

ASSISTANT ACADEMY 

PHYSIO 

JACK 

HAYES 

ACADEMY COACH 

KEITH 

ROBINSON 

DPP MANAGER 

CHERYL 

ABDUL 

ACADEMY ADMINISTRATOR 

TO SPONSOR 

A PLAYER 

EMAIL: 

CORPORATESALES@NEWCASTLE-FALCONS.CO.UK

The director of rugby and his side had four pre-season 

friendlies in a busy summer campaign, beating London 

Scottish (45-19) and Cornish Pirates (46-24) in a double 

header before losing at home to Ospreys (14-10) and 

away to Ulster (31-15). 

The start of the Gallagher Premiership campaign lacked 

for nothing in drama as the Chiefs lost a cliffhanger at 

home to Leicester Tigers in round one, with a lastminute 

try handing them a 14-17 defeat. 

IN OPPOSITION 

EXETER CHIEFS 

FOUNDED 

1872 

HOME GROUND 

SANDY PARK 


ROB BAXTER 

CAPTAIN 

DAFYDD JENKINS 

Above: Greg Fisilau 

Exeter Chiefs make the longest journey in the Gallagher 

Premiership this evening, embarking on the 736-mile 

round trip from Devon to Tyneside. 

The Chiefs remain win-less from their four league outings 

despite a couple of close shaves, with bonus points the 

only thing separating them from Newcastle at the foot of 

the table. 

The Sandy Park side came into the 2024-25 season off 

the back of a relatively low key summer in the transfer 

market, with last season’s squad overhaul followed by a 

greater degree of stability. 

Argentina lock Franco Molina arrived from his homeland, 

prop Kwenzo Blose joined from South Africa’s Stormers 

and flanker Martin Moloney came on board from Leinster, 

with props Will Goodrick-Clarke and Jimmy Roots making 

the move from Championship side Ealing Trailfinders. 

Kiwi centre Tamati Tua is yet to suit up after the former 

ACT Brumbies man picked up an injury, having joined a 

Chiefs squad who had seen a handful of senior departures. 

Prop Patrick Schickerling departed for Glasgow, Alec 

Hepburn left for Scarlets, Nika Abuladze headed for 

Montpellier and Ollie Devoto left for Taunton, with the 

Exeter coaching ranks remaining stable under long-term 

leader Rob Baxter. 

Round two took Exeter to champions Northampton 

Saints, with the Devon side losing 30-24 after battling 

back from 30-10 down to claim a potentially-valuable 

losing bonus point. 

Saracens away in the third round of action always 

looked like a tough assignment, and so it proved as the 

Chiefs sustained a 29-14 loss. 

A couple of tries from former Falcon Josh Hodge helped 

limit the damage, with fly-half Will Haydon-Wood 

among the players with Newcastle connections. 

England back-rower Ethan Roots is among their ballcarrying 

threats, with experienced Australia prop Scott 

Sio another of their international-class performers. 

England centre Henry Slade and Wales lock Dafydd 

Jenkins are sidelined by injury during the early months 

of the campaign, but England flyer Immanuel Feyi- 

Waboso remains one of the most potent wingers on the 

circuit. 

Above: Ethan Roots 

Three-quarter Olly Woodburn and back-five forward 

Christ Tshiunza bring no shortage of physicality, but like 

Newcastle this evening they will be keen to generate 

some momentum after a slow start to the campaign. 

Last weekend’s visit of Bristol Bears looked like turning 

the tide until a late hat-trick from Bears flyer Gabriel 

Ibitoye saw Exeter losing 35-40, after which director 

of rugby Baxter said: “We’re close to being a very good 

team, but the bit that we’ve got to get right is probably 

the hardest bit in professional sport, which is holding 

your composure together under pressure and not 

multiplying issues. 

“We had a lot of players multiplying issues. It’s not 

because they don’t want to win, it’s not because they 

don’t care, I know that, but they’ve got to be able to 

just clear their heads sometimes and just do the right 

things. 

“Some of the lads will look at me, and I swear they will 

be saying ‘I don’t know what I did’. Some of it was a 

little bit silly, almost, but we’re not going to move on 

until we take responsibility.” 

IN OPPOSITION - EXETER CHIEFS 

Above: Josh Hodge 

69

HARVEY SKINNER 

FLY-HALF 

JACK YEANDLE 

HOOKER 

EHREN PAINTER 

PROP 

THREE TO 

WATCH 


ROB BAXTER 

Tavistock-born Baxter is an Exeter rugby man through and 

through, having started with the club’s Colts and played 

more than 300 senior games for the club. 

Taking over as head coach in 2009 and earning promotion 

into the Premiership the following year, Baxter stepped 

up to director of rugby and led the Chiefs to domestic and 

European glory. 

Moving away from day-to-day coaching but still playing an 

instrumental role in the club’s rugby department, Baxter 

remains synonymous with all things Exeter. 

The 27-year-old has become a mainstay of the Exeter 

back line, having come through their academy. 

A product of Bicton College who was farmed out to 

Plymouth Albion and Cornish Pirates for game time 

during his rise through the ranks, the stand-off made 

his first team debut for the Chiefs in 2016. 

Initially providing back-up to Joe Simmonds and Gareth 

Steenson, Skinner has quietly accumulated over 100 

appearances and is well on his way towards 150. 

The 34-year-old hooker is one of Exeter’s longestserving 

players, with well over 200 appearances for 

the Devon outfit. 

Making his professional breakthrough with Doncaster 

Knights, Yeandle joined the Chiefs in 2011 and made his 

debut the following year. 

A Premiership and European Cup winner during his time 

at Sandy Park, Yeandle has assumed leadership duties 

for a youthful squad and has popped up with more than 

30 tries during his time as a Chief. 

The 145kg tight-head is an out-and-out scrummager, 

with the London-born prop forming the anchor of 

Exeter’s scrum. 

Signing from Northampton just under two years 

ago, the 26-year-old is a former England Under-20s 

international who had played 86 times for the Saints 

when he made the move to Devon. 

Locking down the tight-head side of the Chiefs’ scrum, 

he is rapidly closing in on 30 appearances for Exeter and 

will be one to watch for aficionados of tight forward 

play. 

IN OPPOSITION - EXETER CHIEFS 

73

FIXTURES 

2024-25 

Key: GP = Gallagher Premiership, PRC = Premiership Rugby Cup, ECC = EPCR Challenge Cup. 

(Home games in capitals) 

SEPTEMBER 

GP: FRI SEP 20 BRISTOL BEARS H - (L 3-24) 

GP: Sat Sep 28 Harlequins A - (L 28-14) 

OCTOBER 

GP: SAT OCT 5 LEICESTER TIGERS H - (L 10-42) 

GP: Fri Oct 11 Sale Sharks A - 7.45pm - (L 43-10) 

GP: FRI OCT 18 EXETER CHIEFS H - 7.45pm 

GP: Sat Oct 26 Gloucester Rugby A - 3pm 

NOVEMBER 

PRC: Sat Nov 2 Caldy A - 2pm 

PRC: SUN NOV 10 DONCASTER KNIGHTS H - 3PM 

PRC: FRI NOV 22 SALE SHARKS H - 7.45PM 

GP: FRI NOV 29 SARACENS H - 7.45pm 

DECEMBER 

EPCR: Sun Dec 8 Pau A - 1pm UK time 

EPCR: SUN DEC 15 DRAGONS H - 3.15pm 

GP: SAT DEC 21 BATH RUGBY H - 5.30pm 

GP: Sat Dec 28 Northampton Saints A - 3pm 

JANUARY 

GP: FRI JAN 3 HARLEQUINS H - 7:45pm 

EPCR: Sat Jan 11 Ospreys A - 5.30pm 

EPCR: FRI JAN 17 MONTPELLIER H - 8PM 

GP: Jan 24/25/26 Bristol Bears A 

FEBUARY 

PRC: SUN FEB 9 CALDY H - 3PM 

PRC: Sun Feb 16 Sale Sharks A - 3pm 

PRC: Feb 28/Mar 1/2 - Quarter-finals 

MARCH 

EPCR: Apr 4/5/6 – Round of 16 

PRC: Mar 14-16 - Final 

GP: MAR 21/22/23 SALE SHARKS 

GP: Mar 28/29/30 Exeter Chiefs 

APRIL 

EPCR: Apr 4/5/6 – Round of 16 

EPCR: Apr 11/12/13 – Quarter-finals 

GP: APR 18/19/20 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS H 

GP: APR 25/26/27 Bath Rugby A 

MAY 

EPCR: May 2/3/4 – Semi-finals 

GP: May 9/10/11 Saracens A 

GP: MAY 16/17/18 GLOUCESTER RUGBY H 

EPCR: Fri May 23 – Final (Cardiff) 

GP: May 30/31/Jun 1 Leicester Tigers A 

TICKET HOTLINE: 0191 214 2800 

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THE GALLAGHER WAY. SINCE 1927. Photo above from The Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final 2024 

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October is breast cancer 

awareness month 

Whatever your age or gender, it’s important 

to know what’s normal for your body and 

be aware of the signs of breast cancer. 

Breast cancer is the most common 

cancer in the UK and can affect 

both women and men of any age. 

It’s important that you perform 

regular breast checks on yourself and 

encourage others to also monitor any 

unusual changes that could initiate 

early detection and save lives. To help 

spread awareness, Nuffield Health 

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospital have 

produced the following guide. 

LOOK 

Changes in skin texture. 

E.g. Puckering/dimpling 

FEEL 

Lumps and thickening 

LOOK 

Swelling in your armpit or 

around collar bone 

FEEL 

Constant, unusual pain in 

your breast or armpit 

LOOK 

Nipple discharge 

LOOK 

A sudden change in size 

or shape 

LOOK 

Nipple inversion or changes 

in direction 

LOOK 

A rash or crusting of the nipple 

or surrounding area 

What should I do if I find changes in my breasts? 

Fortunately, all breasts are different, and most lumps found will be completely normal. If you 

do notice any unusual changes in your breasts, contact your GP who can perform a more 

in-depth examination. 

What happens next? 

How to check your breasts 

STEP 1 LOOK 

Look at your breasts in the 

mirror with your arms on your 

hips. Repeat with your arms 

overhead, then whilst leaning 

forwards. What you should see 

is breasts that are their usual 

size, shape, and colour and 

that are evenly shaped without 

distortion or swelling. 

STEP 2 FEEL 

Lying down and then standing 

(many women find that 

standing in the shower using 

shower gel works well). Use a 

firm, smooth touch with the first 

three finger pads of your hand, 

keeping the fingers together. 

Check the entire breast from 

your collarbone to the top of 

your abdomen, and from your 

armpit to your cleavage. 

Follow a pattern to be sure 

that you cover the whole 

breast. Most women find 

moving their fingers up and 

down vertically, in rows, as if 

they were mowing a lawn is 

the best approach. Also be 

sure to feel all the tissue from 

below the skin down to the 

deep tissue close to the ribs 

by varying your pressure. 

Your GP will be able to assess your symptoms and may refer you to a hospital or breast 

clinic for further tests. At Nuffield Health Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospital, our One 

Stop Breast Clinic specialists can provide you with expert care and rapid access to a 

mammogram screening – ensuring you receive prompt diagnosis, reassurance and 

peace of mind. 

If you need a check-up or simply want to discuss any concerns with a specialist, please 

give our Nuffield Health Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospital enquiry team a call on 

0191 543 7380 to arrange an initial consultation. 

For more information 

Visit nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/newcastle-upon-tyne 

Search Breast Clinic Newcastle

The 2024-25 Premiership Rugby Cup sees 

five pools of four, with the 10 Gallagher 

Premiership clubs joined by 10 from the RFU 

Championship. 

Each club plays six pool games, with home-and-away 

matches against the other three teams in their group. 

At the end of the group stage the five pool winners go 

through to the quarter-finals, where they are joined by the 

three best runners-up. 

All three of Newcastle Falcons’ home games are included 

on the 2024-25 season ticket. 

The top five seeds are the five group winners, with seeds 

six, seven and eight being the best second-placed teams. 

If teams are level on points the determining 

factors will be (in order): number of wins, points 

difference, points for, tries, fewest red cards and 

head-to-head record. 

The quarter-finals will be seeds 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 

6 and 4 v 5, with home advantage to the higher 

seeds. 

The semi-finals will be played at the home ground 

of the higher seed, as will the final. 

NEWCASTLE FALCONS’ 

CUP FIXTURES 

SAT NOV 2: V CALDY (2PM) 

SUN NOV 10: V DONCASTER KNIGHTS (3PM) 

FRI NOV 22: V SALE SHARKS (7.45PM) 

SAT FEB 1: V DONCASTER KNIGHTS (2.30PM) 

SUN FEB 9: V CALDY (3PM) 

SUN FEB 16: V SALE SHARKS (3PM) 

FEB 28/MAR 1/2: QUARTER-FINALS 

MAR 7-9: SEMI-FINALS 

MAR 14-16: FINAL 

PREMIERSHIP CUP - F IXTURES 

79

Falcons v Exeter programme

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