This Saturday we extend a warm welcome to the players, officials and supporters of Rotherham Titans.
This will be the fifth match between the two clubs - four League matches and a friendly – although until this season the league encounters took place in League North 1 in seasons 1990/91 and 1991/92 when Rotherham were passing through to the dizzy heights of the Premiership.

THE FOUR PREVIOUS MATCHES
October 1990 - Tynedale 15 Rotherham 21 (North 1)
This match was interesting in two ways:-

Rotherham gained their only away win in the League that season, and
Tynedale would not lose another League home match for three years.

7th December 1991 - Rotherham 16 Tynedale 4 (North 1)
A Rotherham win maintained their 100% record to clinch the only promotion place in North One with Tynedale finishing runners-up. This defeat was Tynedale's only league defeat in what was otherwise an outstanding all-round season for Tynedale.

20th February 1993 - Tynedale 35 Rotherham 15 (Friendly)
Tynedale D.Stephenson: J.Rutherford, G.Fleming, C.Leslie, C.Johnston: J.Paton, S.Clayton-Hibbott: R.Parker (Capt), E.Parker, M.White: S.Dunn, S. Turnbull: P.Leonard, G.Yates, M. Lee.
Josh Leslie, Robert Parker, Angus White and Graeme Dunn, all members of the current Tynedale sqad, are sons of players in that 1993 team.

Rotherham R. Ellis: P. Scott, T.Turner, J. Sorby, S. Hough: K. Plant, S Worrall: L. Rick, D. Wright, A, Twible: B. Richardson, I Gresser: A.Challinor, R. Selkirk (Capt), I Evans.

20th November 2021 - Rotherham 38 Tynedale 14 (Nat.2 (N))
It was a tough day out for Tyne as they went down by six tries to two against a ruthless Rotherham side.
The Tynedale squad that day was: J West: S Hutton, J Clark, G Pike, A Todhunter: M Outson, A Ball: A White, R Johnston, B Haigh, C Wearmouth, G Dunn, J Cousin, J mills, H Wainwright: Reps: L Carmichaelj, O Loughhead, R Stanwix, B Blackburn J Outson.

THAT TRIP TO THE TOP
Rotherham entered league rugby in 1987(Level 7). They were defeated by Morpeth in their first league game in September 1987 but then enjoyed enormous success with five promotions in the next seven seasons:-

North East 1 champions: 1988–89
North 2 champions: 1989–90
North 1 champions: 1991–92
Courage League 5 North champions: 1993–94
Courage League 4 champions: 1994–95

They were then National Division One Champions in 1999/2000 (N.B. National Divison One became the Championship in 2011). They beat Bedford in a two-legged play-off, winning at home 40-20 and only losing away 0-14 for a 40-34 aggregate, so they were promoted to the Premiership.

Relegation in 2001 was followed by success the following season when they were again National Div. One champions, but were denied access to the Premiership as they did not fulfil entry requirements.
Undaunted, in 2002/03 Rotherham again topped National Div. One and this time were promoted to the Premiership for a second time – but again suffered relegation after one season.
The club had adopted the title ‘Titans’ in the 2003/04 season.

The Titans remained at level two until 2018, when they were demoted from what had become the Championship, to the National Leagues, and were relegated again two seasons later to National League Two (North) in 2020, and thus meeting up with Tynedale after almost thirty years.

Before the start of the season Rotherham were many peoples’ favourites to take the league title and regain their place in National One. Rotherham currently sit in third position closely behind Hull and Sedgley Park (who play each other today) so with 7 matches to go it looks like a very close run-in with maybe one or two twists in stall.

Rotherham results to date:-
Rotherham 35 Wharfedale 5
Sedgley Park 22 Rotherham 22
Rotherham 48 Bournville 46
Blaydon 17 Rotherham 49
Rotherham 28 Fylde 13
Hull Ionians 24 Rotherham 27
Rotherham 37 Luctonians 22
Rotherham 20 Hull 15
Rotherham 38 Tynedale 14
Loughborough Students 5 Rotherham 71
Rotherham 26 Huddersfield 12
Harrogate 10 Rotherham 26
Rotherham 13 Sedgley Park 12
Bournville 17 Rotherham 17
Rotherham 59 Blaydon 7
Fylde 21 Rotherham 17
Stourbridge 33 Rotherham 48
Rotherham 40 Hull Ionians 12
Luctonians 10 Rotherham 12
Rotherham 17 Stourbridge 10
Rotherham 60 Wharfedale 27
Hull 20 Rotherham 17
Rotherham 33 Chester 28
Chester 17 Rotherham 34