• Firstly, the team was bottom of the League for a while at the start of the season and did not win a home match until the 14th. December 2024 v Hull. Although the side had played well away from Tynedale Park those home supporters of a superstitious nature had blamed a lone Carrion Crow which had been spotted atop the main pitch posts at early home matches. It was rumoured that Peter Southern, Director of Rugby at Tynedale, had even arranged to have bird scarers on the pitch before home games, to chase the bird of ill omen away.

• Secondly, the Tynedale 1st XV had 3 drawn matches in the season. Draws are extremely rare in rugby union. No other club in the top five tiers of rugby (78 teams playing 904 matches} had so many draws in the season. (Richmond and Taunton Tigers had two.) In the last ten years the Tynedale 1st XV has played 281 matches, with only 11 draws (and three of them came last season!)

• Thirdly, two of the three drawn matches were at home v Harrogate who have been relegated and Billingham who finished only one place above, in thirteenth position. Both opponents had last minute penalties which could, and perhaps should, have won them the matches to worsen Tyne’s home statistics.

• Fourthly, every other team in Nat.2(North) won more matches at home than away – except for Tynedale, who had 6 home wins and 6 away. It’s difficult to comprehend how a team which fails to beat Harrogate at home in November, by February can derail Lymm’s push for the top by winning 33-47 at their Crouchley Lane ground and can later beat Leeds Tykes, the out and out League Champions 21-12 in the final match.

• Before the last match of this season we had played Leeds Tykes four times, On each occasion Tynedale had scored first, and led 3-0 at home, 12-0 at home, 7-0 away and 5-0 away.. We lost all those matches badly. by a combined total of 173 points to 34.- usually well beaten. if not thrashed !
Last week the Tykes scored first, and seemed well on their way, as their President wanted, to surpassing Rotherham's total points in the League last year. That score, a lovely try completed with worrying ease did not augur well, yet the Tyne response was magnificent. The tackling was excellent and we went on to dominate territory, possession and the match. The secret seems to avoid scoring first. Or are my superstitious friends in the Stand influencing me too much?

What a topsy-turvy season. Strange. Very strange.

D F Hamilton
……………………..

A FEW 1STXV STATS

Number of different players used - 50 (44-2023/24, 40-2022/23)
Played in all 26 matches – Mike Hughes
Played in 24 matches – Oscar Caudle, Seamus Hutton
Number of yellow cards – 14
Number of 1stXV debutants – 17
Number of players making only one appearance – 8
Number of players from Youth Section/Colts - 16

Av player age (age at start of season) - 25
Players aged under 20 - 8
Players aged 20-24 - 19
Players aged 25-29 - 10
Players aged 30-34 - 8
Players aged over 34 - 5

Top try scorer – Will Roberts, 18
Top points scorer – Cam Grant, 136 (1 Try, 46 Convs, 13 Pens)

Tynedale had 180 senior men registered players this season. (125 'RFU registered' and 55 'Club registered' - 'RFU registered' players can play in National League).

Tynedale had 5 players dual-registered from Newcastle Falcons this season:-

Rhys Beeckmans (17 appearances)
Joe Davis (2 appearances)
Isaac Keller (17 appearances)
Charlie Turnbull (16 appearances)
Harrison Wood (9 appearances)

CLICK HERE to view more statistics