ALNWICK RFCSATURDAY 20TH DECEMBERVSCLECKHEATON RUFCWith thanks toour matchsponsorThanks to ourmatch ballsponsorTIM BURGESS&ROD BELL
We welcome Cleckheaton to Greensfield today on our last League game for2025. Having turned the halfway mark in the season last Saturday with a windown at York we turn our attention to a team we beat narrowly atCleckheaton in miserable conditions! Let’s hope the weather is better todayand the game!After two away games on the bounce for both 1sts and 2nds and 2 great winsfor both teams I’m sure the boys will be relishing a home game in front ofhopefully a good crowd.Today is the Christmas lunch in the Club, which is well attended as always,and thanks must go to Fenham for supplying the turkey, I’m sure it will be astasty as always!The 2nds are away to Northern and the 3rds are away at Morpeth so 3 seniorteams out again which is great, credit to all involved! Also, the Colts entertainMelrose here today and play for the Norrie Rutherford Cup in their Borderleague fixture.Todays sponsors are Tim Burgess and Rod Bell formerly known as Hackett’s!I’m sure they will have a good day in the Lions den.A special thankyou must go to the Gate men Danny and Richard who standat the gate in all weathers to capture your entry fee! Thankyou!!Over the festivities we have fixtures at Berwick on boxing day and then Kelsoare coming here on the 3 January.rdThankyou to everyone who has supported, sponsored, donated, attended,and worked for the Club in 2025, it is you all that make this club what it is andmay I wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy new year.WELCOME!Hugh BurnPresident
THANK YOU TOOUR SPONSORSOUR MAIN CLUBSPONSOR FOR THE2025-2026 SEASON
THANK YOU TO OURPLAYER SPONSORSINTERESTED IN SPONSORING APLAYER THIS SEASONA. W. Wilson Groundworks LtdAlnorthumbria Farm VetsAndrew BellAndrew James Property Surveyors andValuers LtdAesthetically TrainedARFC Members & SupportsBraeside FarmsBryden Haulage LtdCarrs BillingtonCheviot Countryside ContractingCheviot Countryside Contracting (CharlieDavies)Creel & Reel Seafood TrailerCustom Homes LtdDanny HodgsonDavison BlackettDavidson FencingDave BowlingDave King Driving SchoolsEvent Support Services - Simon Vickers’GreenfingersHarry's BarH Hutchinson & SonJ M Strother & SonJ T DoveLen Smith & SonM G CourtyM Gray Agri ContractingMichie GroupMoney Penny WealthMousen Holiday CottagesN B ClarkNeil McDonald Bulk Haulage LtdNorthumberland PropertiesPack Horse InnPip Squeaks Childminding service (Belford)Purdy LodgePUNCHERTON FARMReal FitnessReal Fitness GymRed Steads Farm (Richard Hodgson)Rogerson ContractingSally Eccleston Dyslexia ConsultantSeafield Caravan ParkSoldiers', Sailors' & Airmen'sFamilies Association (SSAFA)Southern Uplands Moorlands GroupSportsworld AlnwickSteam MachineSteve Mckee- AFS FencingThe Blue Bell InnThe Cheese Room @ Alnwick DeliThe Plough InnThe Doxford GroupTiger Lifting UK LtdTyneside Floor SandingVictoria BellEMAIL:[email protected]
CLUBOFFICIALSRod BellVice Chairman & VicePresident Dallas AllenChair of FacilitiesHugh BurnPresidentFraser BurnChairman & Senior VicePresidentIain BellTreasurerJohn DavidsonChair of ColtsJudith BurnHon SecretaryJohn SparkChair of RugbyTony MannersChair of Mini & JuniorRugbyMartin StrakerChair of Sponsorship &AdvertisingGillian ApthorpeClub SafeguardingOfficerBecky DysonCounty RepresentativeChair of Women's RugbyRod BellChair of Health andSafety
Callum BurnClub & 1st XV CaptainAli Blackett1st XV Vice CaptainGordon Smith3rd XV CaptainOli Sutheran2nd XV CaptainRosanna CurtisLadies CaptainAngus MiddlemistColts CaptainJonny Young1st XV Vice CaptainAndrew Francis2nd XV Vice CaptainOURCAPTAINS
NAlnwick RFC is an amateur rugby union club based in the town of Alnwick,Northumberland in the North-East of England. We are the most northerly rugby unionclub in English league rugby (although Berwick’s headquarters are in Scremerston, theyplay in the Scottish league system). The traditional colours of Alnwick are royal blueshirts and socks with gold trims and white shorts.Alnwick RFC was originally formed on 9th December 1880 under the name of ‘TheHotspur’, a reference to the famous knight Harry Hotspur. Mrs Rennison of The StarHotel offered a field on the outskirts of the town to play on, known as Wagonway, and aW. Newman was elected to captain the initial team.Their first game ended in a thrilling 0-0 draw against Jesmond. The Hotspur won theirfirst home game, which was also the first game under rugby union laws, againstRockliffe by 1 goal and 3 touchdowns.In May 1884, a meeting between The Hotspur, Guild and other football clubs resulted ina decision to merge all parties to form the Alnwick Association Football Club. It took 50years for the game of rugby to be reintroduced to the town. In 1933, under thepresidency of Stan Anderson, whom represented England, rugby in Alnwick flourished;playing at Denwick Mill and using The Plough Hotel as the clubhouse. However, this wasshort lived as difficulties in getting playing numbers saw the game abandoned in 1937.After the second world war, another attempt to revive rugby in the town was made butto no avail. It wasn’t until the Duke’s School started playing rugby union, which provideda strong pool of enthusiastic players, that rugby caught on. A meeting was held on 12thApril 1960, presided over by Bobby Robinson of Northern FC and the club was reformedand matches played in the following 60/61 season. His Grace, The Duke ofNorthumberland, agreed to be Patron of the club whilst S.O. Williams accepted thepresidency. Alan Churchill was elected captain and The Plough Hotel was once againused as the clubhouse. The club obtained use of a field at Greensfield Moor whichbecame their permanent headquarters when the Duke of Northumberland offered along lease of land.THEHISTORY OFALNWICKRFC
A warm welcome to all our supporters, as well as our opponents fromCleckheaton.The squad is excited to be back at home after back to back games onthe road.We have been working hard to build on what has been some reallypositive performances.Today we expect a tough and physical battle and we are focused onfinishing this block on a good note.I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with friends and family.Enjoy the game.MATCHPREVIEWMichael Van VuurenSponsored by Victoria Bell
Northern V AlnwickMorpeth V AlnwickBorder Colts V Melrose Colts- V -THANK YOU TO OURCOACHING STAFFSPONSORSON THIS WEEK 2ND TEAM3RD TEAMCOLTSLADIESVictoria Bell
CAPTAIN’S LOGCallum BurnClub & 1st XV CaptainOli Sutheran2nd XV CaptainGordon Smith3rd XV CaptainRosanna CurtisLadies CaptainAngus MiddlemistColts CaptainThe 3's have only played once against Tynedale Hadrians since the last report. The Hadrians are a mixture of 2ndand 3rd team players so are a well drilled side. Alnwick turned up with 15 players to a wet, muddy, Tynedale pitchand unfortunately the rugby we produced in the 1st half was fitting to the conditions, miserable.Falling off tackles and the ball slipping out of hands led to Tynedale amassing a 22 point lead by half time. Sternwords by stand in manager Frats led to a different lions side in the 2nd half tackling was stronger and hands muchbetter which resulted in a much closer 2nd 40. Final score 34-5.Today the lions are in league action down at Morpeth against their Edwardians.As we approach Christmas I'm very pleased to say the 2s record of winning every game this season remains intact.Today we are at Northern for our final league appearance of 2025 before heading to Berwick on Boxing Day.In recent weeks we've had strong victories at home to Tynedale, and away at both Ilkley and York. What has been reallypleasing is our defense and discipline, being able to frustrate teams and not give away cheap penalties to allow theminto the game.Stand out performances from the likes of youngsters Ben Sutherland and Arnie Gough as well as the more seasonedAndrew Ord and Pete Smith have really helped the 2s kick on and put our opposition to the sword.All that remains is for me to wish you a Merry Christmas, and hope to see a good Alnwick support at Berwick on BoxingDay. Cheers!Welcome back to Greensfield. This week we welcome Cleckheaton which always is a tough encounter.We are halfway through the season and currently sitting 3rd in the league, which we are pretty happy with,but are looking to improve on in the second leg of the season.The last few weeks has seen us play Penrith, Ilkley and York winning all 3 fixtures. Richie Elliot also played his150th league game, a great achievement and many congratulations.We hope you all enjoy your day and have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year, and we hope to see youatBerwick on Boxing Day!Alnwick Women travelled to a cold and windy Jarrow on Sunday 14th December. Both squads werelean and it was. Not long before we were playing 14 a side which suited our fast and wide style of play.Our tries came though excellent drawing of defenders with supporting players ready to receive a passand score. Whilst we didn't quite manage to hold Jarrow to 0 who secured a well fought try in thesecond half, Alnwick should be proud of their defence alongside their fast attacking play. Our debutantAmelia made some cracking tackles and we cannot wait to see her develop. Once again, our teamreceived lovely feedback from the opposition on our style and ethos during the game, something weare really proud of.Merry Christmas from all of the team and staff, and we look forward to seeing you on Boxing Day atBerwick!Last week we played West Hartlepool in the Sunday league. It was a high tempo game and with thehigh work rate of the lads we came out on top with a hight scoring win of 57-7.this weekend we play Melrose at home in our second to last Borders League game of the season. Thelads are looking forward to it, as the win would secure us a spot in the top 2 with just hawick left toplay on the 10th January, with the opportunity for both teams going on to win the league.Thank you for all the support last week, we are looking forward to seeing you all again soon.
[email protected] are looking for volunteers to support us with writingour match reports.Whether you want to do them all or even just someselect matches, any help would be appreciated.If you are interested please message Ben to find outmore.MATCH REPORT WRITEREmail
1. ?RICHIE ELLIOTALNWICK RFCFORWARDS5.WILL DYKES2. ?DUNCAN SMITH3. ?FERGUS BURNSPONSOR: ARFCMEMBERS & SUPPORTS4. ?MATTY GRAY(VC)SPONSOR: DANNYHODGSON8.JAMES BIRD7. ?BEN PETTIFER6. ?KALVIN INGLIS?PRODUCT OF MINIS, JUNIORS AND COLTSSPONSOR: N B CLARKSPONSOR: TYNESIDEFLOOR SANDINGSPONSOR: THE PACKHORSE INNSPONSOR: MONEYPENNY WEALTHSPONSOR:GREENFINGERSSPONSOR: THE CHEESEROOM
BACKS13. ?ALEX ROBSON9.JAMES BLACKETT12.ROB CUTHBERTSPONSOR: HHUTCHINSON & SON10. ?CALLUM BURN15.LACHLANTOWNSENDALNWICK RFC11. ?SIMON ORD14.MIKE O’BRIEN?PRODUCT OF MINIS, JUNIORS AND COLTSSPONSOR: A. W.WILSONGROUNDWORKS LTDSPONSOR: RED STEADSFARM (RICHARDHODGSON)SPONSOR: DAVISONBLACKETTSPONSOR:AESTHETICALLYTRAINEDSPONSOR: LEN SMITH &SONSPONSOR: MOUSENHOLIDAY COTTAGES
18. ?JONNY YOUNGCOACHING TEAMHEAD COACHMICHAEL VANVUURENSUBSTITUTES16.MICHAEL VANVUUREN17.JIMMY COWANALNWICK RFCPHYSIODAVE ROSSASSISTANT COACHALLY HOGG?PRODUCT OF MINIS, JUNIORS AND COLTSSPONSOR:DAVISON BLACKETTSPONSOR: CARRSBILLINGTONSPONSOR: ANDREWBELLSPONSOR: VICTORIABELLSPONSOR: DAVISONBLACKETTSPONSOR: CHEVIOTCOUNTRYSIDECONTRACTING
Loosehead Prop PAUL TURNERHooker ARCHIE RIKA RAYNETighthead Prop ANDY PIPERSecond Row NIALL JACKSONSecond Row JACOB SOWDENBlindside Flanker MORIS KAMANOOpenside Flanker SAM SHEPERDNumber 8 JOE FLANAGANScrum Half TOM EGANFly Half TOM BREAKWELLLeft Wing JACK MARSHALLInside Centre MIKE HAYWARDOutside Centre JOE PEARSONRight Wing LEWIS TAYLORFull Back JAMES WILSONReserve HARRY PRESTONReserve BEN CURLEYReserve STEVE MCLAUGHLINCLECKHEATON R U F C
Pre-MatchLunchesSeptember 13th - Open LunchOctober 4 - Open LunchthOctober 18th - Chairman’s Lunch (Fraser Burn)November 8 - Farmer’s Lunch (Paul Frater)thNovember 29th - Past Player’s Lunch (Charlie Davies)December 20th - Christmas LunchJanuary 17th - Sponsors LunchFebruary 14th - Prostate Cancer Lunch (Martin Straker)March 7th - Minis & Juniors Lunch (Tony Manners)March 28 - Ladies Day (Becky Dyson)thApril 11 - End of Season LunchthPre-Match lunches will be held before all first team homegames.All table bookings should be given to Michelle in advance,along with any dietary requirements. Confirmation of finalnumber is needed by Thursday.Advanced payment is appreciated.For lunches in September, October, March & April, meet at12:30pm for a 1pm start.For lunches in November, December, January & February,meet at 12noon for a 12:30pm start.
SeasonLeague gamenumberDate League Name H/A Result For Against2001/02 204 22/09/2001 North 2 East H L 14 232001/02 220 09/03/2002 North 2 East A L 17 342013/14 487 05/10/2013 North One East A L 12 562013/14 499 18/01/2014 North One East H L 7 402017/18 592 07/10/2017 North One East A W 23 152017/18 601 27/01/2018 North One East H W 41 262022/23 690 01/10/2022Regional 1North EastH W 56 312022/23 699 07/01/2023Regional 1North EastA W 31 182023/24 712 30/09/2023Regional 1North EastA W 23 102023/24 720 13/01/2024Regional 1North EastH W 35 212024/25 734 12/10/2024Regional 1North EastH L 27 332024/25 747 22/02/2025Regional 1North EastA L 28 312025/26 754 20/09/2025Regional 1North EastA W 26 6STATS:VS CLECKHEATON
SENIOR RUGBYWelcome back all.We blinked and a new season is back upon us, after one of the driestsummers, leaving the pitches hard and uncompromising. The groundsteam have done their best re seeding and top dressing and wateringbut some rain is well needed.Well done Alex Robson, James Bird and Duncan Smith who made theNorth Rugby NE v NW team of year in the off season, representing theClub well with a win.Michael van Vuuren and Ally Hogg continue as coaches this year joinedby Jim Blackett assisting the backs. Pre-season has gone well withdecent numbers attending. Callum Burn, Oli Sutheran and GordonSmith remain as our 3 senior captains. Recent warm up games againstMorpeth and Northern were productive, and a few new faces havearrived including Tom Helliwell, and a trio of North Island Kiwis, LachlanTownsend, Mike OBrien and Angus Dinwiddie who are working locally.ARFC welcomes you and hope you enjoy your time at Greensfield.Also, great to see Harry Paul and Jimmy Cowan back playing again. Onthe exports, Evan Moir and Sam Eggleston have gone to Kendal andGlenmark NZ respectively, we wish them luck and hope to see themback soon.Last season was another good one for the club. The 1stXV finished wellat fifth in NE1 after a shaky start. The seniors won 4 cups, including theSenior Cup, 2ndXV ,3rd XV and Vets cups, a superb effort for seniorrugby all round. The coaches have set the bar aiming for a good start tothis season, and aim to keep squad competition high, with top andbottom play offs likely for level 5 this year, increased jeopardy will nodoubt add excitement to the season end.The Colts have large and talented squad, and should go well in theBorders this year. It was great to see three of them in the startinglineup for Newcastle Redbulls Academy team recently, a great advertagain for our youth set up at ARFC.The challenge continues to produce three sides on Saturdays, a feat wemanage pretty well for small rural town. We wish the coaches andplayers all the best for the season ahead.Thanks to all who help in making the Rugby happen both on and offthe pitch, your efforts are greatly appreciated. Thankyou to all ourSponsors, a continued vital part of keeping the club operational, andspecial thanks to Becky Dyson and team who do alot of unseen workon the socials and the match programme each week!We really appreciate your support, enjoy the season…John SparkChair of Rugby
Regional 1North EastKINDLY SPONSORBYHeathvAlnwick 1 XVstSATURDAY 22nd November
The ladies team are in their second season in NC3, with new and returningteams bringing a good competitive league. With players of all experiencelevels making up the team, the ladies have grown during preseason, comingaway with a win against Consett Cobras.This season brings new challenges, with Berwick and Jarrovians joining theleague. Not only are they both highly competitive teams, but last season wewere regularly joined by Berwick players to ensure games could go ahead.But with a new influx of players, we should be able to fulfill our fixtures noproblems at all.Training still continues to be a huge success thanks to our fantastic coachingteam, Rob Gabrielle & Colin Grimes. We have been joined by physio KimRobson this season, who will provide essential match day help, as well asstrength and conditioning in our weekly training sessions. Training sessionsare 7-8:30pm Tuesday and Thursday evenings, weather permitting.We can't wait to see you all on Sunday afternoons throughout this season!Upcoming home matches:Alnwick v Consett - 11/01/26Alnwick v Whitley Bay Rockcliff - 08/02/26LADIESRosanna CurtisLadies Captain
National Challenge 3(North North)SUNDAY 14 DECEMBERthJARROWvALNWICK
On behalf of the entire Alnwick Minis and Juniors, I am delighted to extend avery warm welcome to you. We are thrilled to have so many kids andvolunteers enjoying what we have to offer on Sunday mornings, and we arelooking forward to an exciting season ahead.Rugby is not just a sport, it is a way of life that fosters teamwork, camaraderie,and personal growth. Our mission at Alnwick is to provide a safe, fun, andinclusive environment for players of all ages and skill levels. Whether you aretaking your first steps into the world of rugby or have been playing for years, weare committed to helping the kids develop their skills, build character, andcreate lasting friendships.As we embark on this rugby adventure together, we encourage the kids toembrace the core values of rugby, Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline,Sportsmanship. These values are the foundation of everything we do, and theywill shape us into not just better rugby players but also better human beings.We have 14 sides in the Minis and Juniors this season, which is testament to allthe hard work of coaches and parents from previous seasons turning up onsometimes wet and cold Sunday mornings, sometimes nursing hangoversfrom the night before.Finally, we wish all the Senior sides the best of luck for the forth coming seasonand hopefully we can continue to support them on Saturdays as ball boys andgirls.MINI & JUNIORSTony MannersChairman Minis &Juniors
LAST CHANCETHIS WEEKEND!!
This season promises to be an exciting one for the Alnwick Colts, withnearly 40 players registered and ready to play. To ensure everyone getsplenty of game time, we’ve entered two competitions — the BordersLeague and the Durham & Northumberland League.The side is captained by Angus Middlemist, with Connor Carolan servingas vice-captain. We’re fortunate to have an experienced and dedicatedcoaching team, eager to pass on their knowledge, passion, andenthusiasm to the squad.We’re also proud to have three players — Finn, Frazer, and Evan —representing the Red Bull Academy this season. We wish them all thebest as they continue to develop their rugby careers at that level.Many of the boys already have experience playing together throughschool rugby, including a memorable tour to Barcelona. Those sharedexperiences meant that when the squad came together over thesummer for preseason, they quickly bonded into a strong and unitedteam.The first few games of the season have been very successful, showcasingthe quality, talent, and depth within the squad. The Colts haven’t liftedsilverware at the club since 1984, but with such a committed and skilfulgroup, there’s every chance this could be a truly special season.Your support throughout the season will mean a great deal to the boys— we look forward to seeing you on the sidelines!COLTSJohn DavidsonColts Chair
No rest for the wicked……Whilst the contact teams were sunning themselves on a beach somewhereAlnwick touch players were busy competing in the senior Touchchampionships in Scotland in August.Payers in the women’s 40’s men’s 40’s and men’s 50’s had a right old timeshowing not only some home nations but also teams from as far apart asSwitzerland and Portugal how to play.With the onset of darker nights Tuesday training will continue under thefloodlights in preparation for National Teams Selection which start again andthe upcoming winter leagues.Always room for more players across all levels from beginners tointernationals , so come along on Tuesday and have a crack!TOUCHDon McLean
Regional 1North EastTODAYS FIXTURESALNWICKS NEXT 3 FIXTURESAlnwick V CleckheatonBlaydon V HarrogateKendal V YorkMiddlesbrough V HeathSandal V IlkleyPenrith V Driffield10th Jan Kendal V Alnwick17th Jan Alnwick V Harrogate31st jan Sandal V Alnwick
Regional 1North EastTHIS SEASONS FIXTURES6thSeptemberBlaydon V Alnwick13thSeptemberAlnwick V York20thSeptemberCleckheaton V Alnwick4th October Alnwick V Kendal11th October Harrogate V Alnwick18thOctoberAlnwick V Sandal25thOctoberDriffield V Alnwick8thNovemberAlnwick V Middlesbrough22ndNovemberHeath v Alnwick29thNovemberAlnwick V Penrith6thDecemberIlkley V Alnwick
Regional 1North EastTHIS SEASONS FIXTURES13thDecemberYork V Alnwick20thDecemberAlnwick V Cleakheaton10thJanuaryKendal V Alnwick17thJanuaryAlnwick V Harrogate31st January Sandal V Alnwick14thFebruaryAlnwick V Driffield28thFebruaryMiddlesbrough V Alnwick7th March Alnwick V Heath21st March Penrith v Alnwick28th March Alnwick V Ilkley11th April Alnwick V Blaydon
Regional 1North East
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