Tynedale RFC was delighted to elect Chris Dixon and Craig Johnston as Life Members at its Annual General Meeting on 29 September. This special acknowledgement recognises their years of service to Tynedale, both on the field and behind the scenes.

Chris Dixon was a titan of a player who represented Tynedale, Northumberland and the North of England over an incredible career. He continues to be a constant presence at the club, both as a dedicated supporter and as a committed volunteer behind the scenes.

Craig Johnston has been a player, 1st XV captain, Panthers coach, club fixture secretary, league representative, bar steward and now groundsman. Few people have filled more roles at Tynedale. A deserved recipient, Craig is also the first new Life Member for some time to be on the ‘light’ side of 60.

The AGM also reviewed a successful 2025/26 season and a busy year across the club. A promotion challenge for the 1st XV, silverware across the senior and junior teams, a memorable anniversary dinner and growing commercial income gave members plenty to celebrate as Tynedale approached its 150th anniversary.

The 1st XV finished second in National League Two North, winning 21 of their 26 league matches, scoring 941 points and collecting 106 league points. It was an excellent campaign of sustained, competitive rugby that earned Tynedale a home promotion playoff and gave supporters plenty of reasons to keep coming through the gates.

The final league afternoon captured much of what made the season special. Tynedale scored seven tries in a 45 to 20 victory at Wharfedale, securing second place, while the Raiders also won against the Foresters. The subsequent playoff against Oundle brought the season’s largest home crowd to Corbridge. A 29 to 20 defeat ended the promotion bid, but reaching that stage was a substantial achievement in its own right.

There was strength throughout the senior sides. The Raiders won Candy League One for the third consecutive season, recording 15 wins from 18 matches. The Hadrians finished third in Candy Two North, and the Centurions won Candy Three North with 13 victories from 15 games, securing promotion to Division Two.

The Centurions fulfilled every fixture and regularly had more than 20 players available, a considerable achievement for a fourth team. Among them was Ian Charlton, who appeared throughout the campaign in his 66th year.

The Colts collected three trophies, winning the Northumberland Sevens, Northumberland Cup and Border Plate. Their success provided another encouraging sign of the young talent coming through the club.

That pathway was visible again in September. When the Raiders began their first campaign in the RFU league structure with a 52 to 14 win at Houghton in Counties One North East, their starting backs included three players aged 19 and two aged 18. It was a pleasing illustration of young players taking their opportunities in senior rugby.

Among approximately 350 youngsters, the U14s won their County Cup, the U15s secured the Plate and nine U15 players earned academy places. The Panthers U16s reached the last 16 of the National Cup, won the County Plate and had 11 players selected for Northumberland’s Player Development Group.

The youth section also worked hard to keep rugby going through difficult weather, finding alternative training spaces across Northumberland when pitches became unusable. Alex Bond received a Northumberland County Unsung Hero award for her volunteer work with the U10s.

The Youth Festival provided another opportunity to bring the wider rugby community to Corbridge. U10, U11 and U12 teams enjoyed boys’ and girls’ competitions, a Sedbergh skills zone, catering, raffles and activities around the pitches. FaulknerBrowns became the festival’s title sponsor, renewing a connection with the club that stretches back to designing the clubhouse in the 1970s.

Away from competitive rugby, the anniversary dinner was a fitting occasion for a club with so much shared history. The celebration on 27 June brought 360 guests together for dining, music, an auction and a raffle in a marquee at Tynedale Park. The evening generated a profit exceeding £7,000, despite the original ambition being simply to break even.

The Beer Festival was the biggest yet, producing £90,000 in net profit shared between the rugby club and Tynedale Lions. The Tynedale Sevens also attracted record participation, keeping rugby at the centre of that busy summer weekend.

The first Northumberland County Legends Lunch in January was another successful occasion, earning an invitation to host it again in 2027.

The club also supported the Doddie Aid ride during the Six Nations.
The club’s charitable connections remained prominent. Wooden Spoon brought VetsFest back to Tynedale on 26 September, with 600 players registered across men’s, women’s, over 50s and walking rugby competitions. Becoming the first club to host the event twice was a significant endorsement of Tynedale’s facilities, welcome and ability to organise major events.

The Cow Pat Challenge added some familiar Tynedale humour to the fundraising effort, raising around £10,000. The proceeds supported all 18 teams and contributed to the continued refurbishment of the club’s internal spaces.

The accounts for the year ending 30 June 2026 show how much the club’s income grew.

Total income increased by £190,368.

Caravans and camping provided another important stream, generating £41,030. The accounts also included £56,870 in donation income from the 2025 Beer Festival, received in August 2026. This is separate from the commercial report’s figure for the overall profit of the 2026 festival.

Player sponsorship was particularly encouraging, growing from around £12,000 in 2025 to more than £23,000 in 2026. Individuals, families and businesses all had a direct way to support the players.

For the first time in memory, Tynedale recorded a small profit before tax of £2,889. This was achieved alongside £75,561 of investment in further clubhouse improvements, with the bar, changing rooms and showers benefiting from upgrades. Grant support totalling £36,938 helped fund solar panels, batteries and a new cellar chiller, with the energy investment intended to reduce running costs.

There was progress in how the club presents itself, too. The new club shop and anniversary collection gave supporters fresh ways to wear their colours, while the expanded digital programme brought together player profiles, match coverage, videos, sponsorship and stories from across Tynedale. The first home 1st XV programme of the new season attracted five times as many views as the number of printed copies previously produced. These developments provide more space for the whole club to be seen and celebrated.

Two significant changes to the management committee were also confirmed at this year’s AGM.

Charlotte Coates was duly elected as Honorary Secretary and oversaw her first AGM in the role. A longstanding club supporter, Charlotte has deep family connections to Tynedale. Her father, the late Tony Coates, remains a club legend, while her mother Jenny remains a great supporter of the club and continues to attend games.

Charlotte brings an impressive professional background in real estate finance, turnaround and asset management to her new role.
Treasurer Chris Lloyd confirmed his intention to step down in the coming months, with Mark Smales set to succeed him. Chris deserves the club’s sincere thanks for the considerable time, care and commitment he has given to managing Tynedale’s finances.

Mark will be a familiar face to generations of Tynedale players. Across the past 24 seasons, he has played a remarkable amount of rugby for the Grasshoppers, Centurions and Raiders, appearing in nearly every position on the field. Professionally, he is the financial director at the Raby Estate in Durham, bringing substantial financial knowledge and experience to the role. Alongside those professional credentials comes a deep understanding of the club, built through more than two decades of pulling on a Tynedale shirt.

The club’s application for charitable status remains with the Charity Commission. Members were advised that a further update on the process is expected during the autumn.

The AGM also provided an opportunity to recognise the people whose work made the year possible. Behind the busiest occasions were volunteers registering teams, preparing pitches, serving refreshments, directing traffic and clearing everything away afterwards. Coaches and team managers kept rugby running each week, while the medical team cared for the players.

The club extends its thanks to everyone who gave their time and support, helping Tynedale field teams throughout the season and host events on the scale celebrated in this review.

Full AGM Minutes will be published in due course.