7. Club Travel over the Years

HOW FAR DO CLUBS TRAVEL FOR MEANINGFUL MATCHES?

In England rugby clubs travel great distances to honour league fixtures. At present those undertaking the longest away trips are:-

• Premiership. Newcastle Falcons/Exeter - 369 miles
• Championship Doncaster/Jersey - 381 miles
• National 1 Darlington MP/ Plymouth - 375 miles
• National 2 (South) Bury St. Edmonds/Redruth - 355 miles
• National 2 (North) Tynedale/Luctonians - 259 miles

So, at a mere 259 miles Tynedale‘s longest away match, at level 4, is currently shorter than everyone else’s?

It wasn’t always so. What about Tynedale/Mounts Bay (Penzance), 493 miles in 2009, or Tynedale/Redruth, 476 miles in 2010 ?

Over the decades Tynedale RFC’s longest 1stXV journeys, excluding tours, increased from 30 miles to 508:-

• 1881 Sunderland - 36 miles
• 1891 Carlisle - 39 miles
• 1901 Percy Park - 30 miles
• 1911 Hartlepool Rovers - 53 miles
• 1921 Carlisle - 39 mile
• 1931 Cockermouth - 64 miles
• 1951 Keswick - 58 miles
• 1961 Galashiels - 66 miles
• 1971 Bingley - 123 miles
• 1981 Hull & ER - 158 miles
• 1991 Winnington Park - 168 miles
• 2001 Bedford Athletic - 248 miles
• 2011 Jersey - 508 miles

The modes of transport changed too, to cope with these huge distances, from horseback to local trains and buses, motor cars, coaches, inter-city trains and plane flights. And all for competitive away matches!

D.F.Hamilton
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