Match Preview

Saturday 2nd September 2023 (KO 3pm)

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Time can certainly fly and here we are kicking off a brand new season with our old friends Preston Grasshoppers being our ‘first footers’ at Tynedale Park this Saturday – to their players, support-staff and supporters we offer a very warm welcome.

In National 2 North only Otley RUFC are older than Preston Grasshoppers.
The 14 clubs in our League began life in the following years:-
Otley 1865
Preston Grasshoppers 1869
Tynedale 1876
Sheffield 1902
Huddersfield 1909
Fylde 1919
Rotherham 1923
Wharfedale 1923
Billingham 1924
Sheffield Tigers 1932
Lymm 1960
Leeds Tykes 1991
Hull Ionians 1989
Hull 1992

RECENT MATCHES BETWEEN PRESTON GRASSHOPPERS AND TYNEDALE
2018-2019 Tynedale 31 Grasshoppers 29
2018-2019 Grasshoppers 21 Tynedale 5
2019-2020 Tynedale 34 Grasshoppers 5
2019-2020 Grasshoppers 14 Tynedale 29
2022-2023 Tynedale 17 Grasshoppers 12
2022-2023 Grasshoppers 40 Tynedale 34

LAST SEASON (2022-2023)
The Grasshoppers finished last season in 11th position in the league following their return to National League 2. Their poor away record was largely responsible for their relatively low league position recording zero away victories – lets hope that sequence of poor away results continues for one more match!

Last season’s matches between Tynedale and Preston went with the home side although only one score separated the sides in both games.
Tynedale 7 Preston 12 (Nov 5th 2022)
Not many fireworks in a dour match at a damp Tynedale Park with Tynedale literally nearly throwing it away in the closing minutes
Preston 40 Tynedale 34 (March 4th 2023)
In the return match Tynedale lost scoring five tries to Preston’s six with three Tynedale tries in the last ten minutes bringing the scores close.
Grasshoppers Pre-Season
The Hoppers have played the following pre-season matches:-
Aug 19 Rossendale (A) – Hoppers won
Aug 24 Leeds Beckett University (H)
Aug 25 Vale of Lune (A)

CHANGES IN THE TEAMS IN OUR LEAGUE THIS SEASON.
Sedgley Park were promoted to National One; Blaydon and Harrogate were relegated to Regional 1 North East, whilst Chester were transferred to the parallel league, National 2 West.
We therefore welcome four newcomers this season, to replace those clubs - Hull RUFC and Leeds Tykes, relegated from National League 1, and two promoted clubs, Billingham who were champions of Regional 1 North East and Lymm who were top of Regional 1 North West.

PRESTON WEBSITE
https://www.pgrfc.co.uk/

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: George Ounsley
AR1: Simon O’Neil
AR2: Dean Lythgoe

BALL BOYS
Tynedale Under 12’s

WEATHER FORECAST
Dry, sunny intervals, light easterly wind,20 degrees

SELECTED SQUAD
As usual there are several new or returned names in the squad list for the new season.
To summarise:-
Players-In
Joe Beaty - Wing/Full Back from Aspatria
Ryan Scott - centre from Aspatria
Ben Douglas - Scrum Half from Newcastle Falcons (Dual-Reg)
Jacob Oliver - Hooker from Newcastle Falcons (Dual Reg)
Mike Rewcastle - Prop from Newcastle University (Dual Reg)
George Waterhouse - Prop from Newcastle University
Joe Hanning - returned to the fray after a season out
Nicko Sykes - Scum Half, last year's Colts
Joe Johnston - Back, returning to rugby after several seasons out
Players Out
Ross Cooke - off on his travels
Jonny Dodd - returned to Wigton
James Blackett - Caldy