CaNDY LEAGUES

For some time the Tynedale 2nd XV(Raiders) and other junior sides at the club found it
difficult to find competitive, meaningful fixtures nearby.

The 2nd XV tried for a while to follow the route taken by the club’s Colts by playing
against Scottish teams in a Border League, but, after a good start, this was not successful as several pf the Border junior sides left to join the Scottish National League structure..

Two Tynedale members, John Shotton and Craig Johnston decided that a better solution
was to form Leagues from 2nd XV’s etc. of clubs from Cumbria, Northumberland,
Yorkshire and Durham, and that is what they introduced.

The name of the new League was to be CaNDY, using the initial letters of the four
counties. This seemed much more tasteful than CYaNiDe and better than DeCeNcY.

After a few years the Cumbrian clubs withdrew, not being strong enough to compete.
The decision then was whether to change the CaNDY name. What were the
alternatives if the ‘C’ was withdrawn? DeNY, NodDY? Surely not, so the CaNDY
name remained.

Craig Johnston controlled the CaNDY Leagues wonderfully well for many years, until
in 2023 the RFU and NRU misguidedly stepped in, to muddy the waters.