GATESHEAD
GATESHEAD
Gateshead Rugby Club was first established in 1998 following a merger between North Durham and
Gateshead Fell. They are based at Eastwood Gardens in Tyne and Wear and their first team currently
competes in the Durham/Northumberland Division One. They are led by the team of President Tom Tate and
Chairman Patrick Douglas and are looking to progress under their guidance.
The team put together a steady campaign
last time around as they compiled a record
of having won 9, drawn 1 and lost 16 of
their 26 matches. This saw them finish in
a safe mid table position with 52 points on
the board.
Their attentions will now have turned
towards the new season and they will be
keen to get off to a good start in order to
help build momentum for the rest of the
campaign. So long as they are able to
retain their current group of players and
perhaps make one or two quality additions
they should be in with a good chance of a
successful effort.
One of the standout features of the
Gateshead set-up is the superb youth
section that they have in place. This part
of the club looks to provide young players
from the local area with an opportunity
to play the game in a safe and enjoyable
environment whilst helping them to reach
their full potential.
It is important for any club to be able to
produce their own talent, particularly in
the current financial climate and this is an
area that they appear to have covered.
Coaching staff involved with this part of
the club are confident they have a number
of juniors with the potential to have a
successful future.
In order to help their youngsters to make
the sometimes difficult transition into
the senior game Gateshead also has a
number of additional sides. This allows
them to give players experience of the
adult game even if they are not yet
considered ready for first team action
which can be an important step in the
development process.
54
ISSUE 48
Another benefit of having so many teams
is that it allows the first XV to benefit from
far greater strength in depth. If they are
ever left short on numbers through injury
or suspension they have the option of
calling players up with a limited amount of
disruption.
Off the field the club has some high
quality facilities with a function hall, bar
and kitchens providing opportunities to
host events such as parties, discos and
weddings. This has the potential to provide
them with a valuable source of additional
income which can be particularly important
during the off-season when they are
unable to rely upon match day revenue.
Gateshead is clearly a club with a strong
set-up both on and off the field and this
should enable them to look forwards to a
bright and successful future. Everyone at
Rugby Club Magazine would like to take
this opportunity to wish them the best of
luck for the coming season.
“Gateshead is
clearly a club
with a strong
set-up.”