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Club News

Adult Rugby to return to the Tigers

Having been the dominant force in adult (open age) Rugby League in the North East several seasons ago only to see the side fold three years ago the Tigers now feel that the time is right to get back into the adult game in the region.

The decision will mean that players from last winter’s under 18 side which played in the Yorkshire Youth League and players from the current under 16 squad will now have a clear pathway in the game which will give them an opportunity to progress further in “the greatest game of all.”

Previous Tigers players are keen to get back involved with the Club as well as parents and friends of our junior teams. We welcome anyone to come along and give the game a go with or without experience of either Rugby code.

The side will be coached by Mattie Styran who has played the game to a high level with Bramley.

The intention is that training will start within the next few weeks and that a series of friendlies will be arranged against local sides playing in the North East Region Summer Conference. This will require the necessary registration and insurance procedures to be put in place. The side will then apply to join next year’s Summer Conference.

To get involved in this new venture please get in touch with Matthew Styran on 07729671565 or contact Phil Selby on 0191 3849809

The adult side will set up its own bank account and raise its own finance. It will not have any financial links with our current junior set up

We look forward especially to hearing from past Tigers players who have lost contact with the Club and who would like to get involved again. We also would like to hear from people who would like to become part of the team administration.

Arrangements for Saturday 11th June

The under 16s are playing a league game at home against Whitley Bay. Kick off is at 11am. Meet at 10am. Training is at 7pm this Thursday. This is an opportunity to reverse the loss against Whitley Bay earlier in the season and to get our season on track.

The under 12s are playing friendlies against Durham Tigers and Peterlee Pumas. Tom will text you with details about when to meet.

The under 10s have training this Saturday starting at 10am

The under 14s do not have agame this weekend. Jarrow have pulled out because they think our team is too strong for them at this stage. This is not a problem for us since we will not get any injuries in a friendly game prior to next weeks Cup game and we will have the chance for injured players to rtecover. 

Change in training times for under 10s

With immediate effect training for the under 10s will now be on Wednesday evenings starting at 6pm and lasting until 7-30pm and on Saturday mornings from 10am until 11-30am. The next training session is on Wednesday 20th April.

Visit of Queens from Leeds

On Saturday 30th April we are entertaining the Queens under 14s in a friendly game at Shildon.

Queens are a long established club with an excellent reputation who will give us a clear indication about how good our under 14 side really is. They are bringing a coach load of supporters and we want to provide them with a good day out in the Nortn East. The game will kick off in the stadium at 1-00pm

Under 12s and under 14s play Knottingley on August 20th.

We have bben invited by the Knorttigly Club to play two friendlies at heir place on 20th August. This is in line with our policy of providing playing opportunities for our sides against teams from Yorkshire. Further details of the trip will be made available in due coursei

Date of next committee meeting

The next meeting is on Tuesday 19th April at Sunnydale at 7-30pm.

We will review the season to date. Agwnda items to Phil ASAP

Arrangements for Saturday 16th April

Under 10s - Training at Sunnydale in Shildon. 10-00am until 11-30am. Newcomers welcome

Under12 - League game against Peterlee Pumas Kick off at 10-30am

Under 14s - League game against Peterlee Pumas. Kick off 11-30am

 Under 16s - Training at Sunydale 10-00am until 11-30am

Training times

Now that the clocks are going back it is likely that training times may change. Please check out with team managers if you are uncertain as to times.

Social

We are going to celebrate the achievements of our under 18 side and have what is in effect an early season Club Social for eveyone else on Saturday 2nd April starting at 7pm. The venue is the Masonic Hall in Bishop Auckland. Will be a pie and pea/hot dogs supper with a race night of the rolling dice, toy horse variety. Your team managers will be taking number attending so we can order food etc. Names and numbers must be in by the end of this month

Tigers press release Monday 21st February

Jamie Love makes first team debut for Gateshead Thunder

17 year old Durham Tigers player Jamie Love made his debut appearance for Gateshead Thunder in the Northern Rail Cup game at Batley Bulldogs. Jamie, who had previously played for Thunder in pre-season friendlies, is a member of the sixth form at St. John’s School in Bishop Auckland.

Whilst playing for the Tigers under 17s side in the Yorkshire Youth League Jamie caught the eye of the England’s Community Lions under 18s coaching staff which led Jamie to become part of the full England side. Sadly for Jamie injury forced him out of the games against France and the Australian Schoolboys.

Commenting on Jamie’s performance Thunder coach Richard Pell said “Jamie did fantastically. His defence was really good. With ball in hand he showed promise but needs to develop his confidence. Jamie is big and athletic with a great attitude to the game and a willingness to work hard and listen to advice.

Richard added “Before coming to Thunder I was coach of at Castleford Tigers of their under 18 Academy side. Several of these lads are now part of the Castleford Super League side. Jamie has similar qualities to these lads and I see no reason why Jamie should not go on to play Super League.”

Jamie will retain his place in the Thunder side and will make his home debut next Sunday against Swinton Lions with a 3pm kick off. We expect a large contingent of Durham Tigers players and volunteers to be there in support.

Jamie is not the only former Tiger to be at Thunder. Mark Sowerby and Louis Johnston are part of the under 18 academy squad and will consequently have a chance to follow in James’s footsteps.

Club founder member Phil Selby said “Jamie is the first player to get to this level since the Club relocated to Bishop Auckland and now to its new home in Shildon. He has shown that we have achieved what we set out to do many years ago now and that is to give local kids the chance to take their skills to the highest possible level.”

He went on to say that “I hope Jamie will blaze a trail that many other of our talented junior players will follow. I have no doubt that many of our current under 16, under 14 and under 12 players have got what it takes to go right to the top”

Former Chair of the Club Joe Smith in expressing pride and admiration in Jamie’s achievement commented that his success justifies the decision of the Tigers committee to enter a side in the Yorkshire Junior League three years ago. “It is only by giving players the opportunity to play against the very best that real progress can be made” he added.

The Tigers are always on the lookout for new players of any ability. At present the Club is looking to recruit at all age groups but especially at under 12 and under 10 age groups. The Club is organising a taster session for newcomers at Sunnydale Leisure Centre on Saturday 5th March between 10am and 12

noon. The event is free of charge. If anyone wishes to take part please contact the Club secretary on 0191 3849809 or contact Sunnydale Leisure Centre.

Grant from Co. Durham Community Foundation

The Tigers are pleased to have been awarded a grant of £3960 from the Co. Durham Community Foundation. The grant is for the purchase of both training and playing equipment, coach education and hire of facilities. The grant from the Foundation will enable us to continue to build a vibrant community club which is open to all members of the community.

The grant, along with previous funding from Sports England, recognises the progress we have made since moving to Shildon just over a year ago. The sport of Rugby League is now recognised by funding bodies as one which makes good use of funds and which reaches it's targets in terms  of player recruitment and development whilst promoting positive values and personal development.

Tigers on Face Book

The Tigers now have their own Face book page located at

www.facebook.com/profil..!/pages/WE-ARE-Durham-Tigers/143040239088863

It has become increasingly obvious that this was necessary in order to keep up with current trens in communication.

We hope that everyone associated with the Club will sign up and use this facility. It should help to get the Tigers message across to many more people and act as a suppliment to the website.

Many thanks to Matthew for taking the lead on this

UK grassroots rugby league flourishing

The number of adults participating in Rugby League in England increased by over 30,000 last year, according to official figures which highlight the successful impact of the RFL's national development work. The total number of secondary school pupils participating in the sport in 2010 also increased by over 25,000, further demonstrating the growth of grassroots Rugby League. David Gent, the RFL's Director of Participation and Strategic Partnerships, said: "This growth is down to the hard work of the RFL's development staff in partnership with the development officers at professional clubs who work tirelessly to get more people involved in the sport in communities the length and breadth of the country. "As well as a big increase in the number of people playing Rugby League we have also seen the sport successfully expand into new areas. "Last year, for example, the South West region appointed its first two community coaches and organized the first ever schools tournaments in Swindon, Bristol, Exeter, Torbay and Plymouth. "It is important that we build on this success and continue to expand both the national footprint of the sport and the number of participants." According to official RFL statistics, the total number of adults participating in Rugby League in England increased by 30,431 last year whilst the number of secondary school participants increased by 25,273. The figures show an increase of 5,372 adult female participants and an increase of 4,601 adult males in club competitions whilst wheelchair tag Rugby League has seen over 100 new participants registered. The number of active Match Officials increased by 1,014 in 2010 and 7,482 new volunteers were recruited to the sport.

New season starts on Saturday 12th March

Following on from the North East Rugby League meeting last week the starting date for the new summer season was announced.

We play Gateshead Storm away at under 12 and under 14 level and the under 16s start with an away trip to Cramlington. Kick off times will be announced in due course.

The following weekend the under 10s have their first experience of competitive Rugby when they take part in their first festival. Under 10 festivals will take place every fortnight throughout the season.

The full fixture list will only be published following on from the next committee meeting when clubs will have had the chance to look at the proposals and make suggestions for change

Under 16s Friendly against Whitley Bay

We are playing Whitley Bay in a pre-season friendly on Saturday 5th March at Sunnydale kick off at 10-45am.

Under 16s Training times.

The under 16s now train on Thursday evenings starting at 6-30pm and on Saturday mornings starting at 10am New players are always welcome

Meeting off all North East Coaches arranged for Tuesday 8th March starting at 7pm – venue to be arranged.

Andy Kelly and Robin Peers are drawing together all coaches at all age groups to guide them through the game day procedures and protocols which will govern the game this season. The objective is to ensure that there is a full understanding of the rules of the competition and how they should be applied. In particular the meeting will look at the procedures to be followed in the event of a side having fewer than 13 players available.

The meeting is also intended to highlight the skills etc. that should be introduced at particular ages in order to ensure optimal player development.

For the Tigers coaches this will be the third of a series of events which have all been held to support the development of their skills. This is all part of a major effort in the sport to improve performance at all levels to enable us to compete more effectively with Australia and New Zealand in the run up to the World Cup which will be held in Britain in 2013

Recruitment of new players at under 10and under 12 is a top priority for the Club

We have now developed an outstanding coaching and support team for our under 10s and under 12s. Mark and Matthew are now in charge of the under 10s and the under 12s are coached by Tom and Andy who will soon be joined by Jason. It is also good to see the overall level of support coming from parents, carers and friends of the players.

Now we have put together a sound framework it is time to make a major recruitment effort. As result we have organized a taster season on Saturday 5th March starting at 10am. Mark has created a power point presentation to take into schools and we hope to arrange visits to local junior schools to promote the Club. We are also hoping to put on activities for these age groups at Sunnydale during the Easter holiday.

However it remains true to say that most recruits come as a result of contacts potential players have with existing players. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY FRIENDS OR RELATIVES WHO MIGHT LIKE TO LEARN TO PLAY THE GAME NOW IS THE TIME TO GET THEM INVOLVED. All they need to do is to turn up for training any Saturday morning over the next few weeks.

Don’t forget the other websites that support and promote the game in our area.

Karl has put together the West Durham Rugby League website which provides in depth coverage of our game in the Durham City and South West Durham area. It features lots of news about the Champion Schools competition and student rugby league as well as the Durham Demons open age side which some of our lads play for. You can find it simply by Googling West Durham Rugby League.

The North East Rugby League website covers the activities of the game throughout the region at all levels. It also provided minutes of committee meetings, administrative documents to download and rules and regulations for the game. Just Google North East Rugby League to find it.

New Year New Season- What does 2011 hold for the Tigers?

Plans are now taking shape for the North East Rugby league 2011 season. With new sides entering the competition from Jarrow, Hartlepools and Northallerton hopes are high that the new structure in place centrally is now bringing progress to the game. So what are our hopes at the Tigers for the coming season?

At under 10 the task is plain. This is a new age group for us and the first priority is to recruit players. This will be helped by Karl Stephenson going into several local schools and by existing players bringing their friends along. Remember that girls and boys can both play in the same team at this stage. As with last season the players will play in a series of festivals which enables wide participation even if a club does not have sufficient players to form a full side of nine. Opinions differ about the wisdom of this approach but it has proved a huge success throughout the country.

The under 12s face a fascinating challenge. As with the under 10s the first priority is to get more players to give us more strength in depth. Our under 11 side last season established itself as one of the dominant sides in the area and now we need to move on to get the side in the position enjoyed by this year’s under 14s.

After playing in festival format last year the side now will play under full 13 a side rules. This will mean taking on new skills and challenges. If all clubs get organised we will be playing in an eight team league with new teams coming in from Durham City and from Northallerton. We now have an excellent coaching set up with Tom and Andy being joined by Mark and Matthew. Other parents are interested in getting involved in coaching and will be trained on the next coaching course. In all we are looking forward to a successful and enjoyable summer.

For the under 14s the challenge is straightforward. We need to continue with our total domination of the local competitions. This will not be easy. Northallerton and Jarrow have joined our league and the community coaches have been actively recruiting for other clubs, especially Peterlee and Cramlington, throughout the winter.

However the fact remains that the talent of the squad should enable us to compete effectively again this year and we are favourites to win everything yet again. However we should all expect, and perhaps hope for, a much more competitive time ahead.

The under 16s now have another chance to put the disappointments of last season behind them. This side contains many talented players as can be seen by the number of them in the North East regional side. After taking a long winter break training is now starting again at 7pm on the 3rd of February at Sunnydale. With Hartlepools and Northallerton joining the league there will be more competition and interest. For the Tigers the pre-season is vital. We must get numbers down to training and get properly motivated for the year ahead.

Champion Schools regional finals to be held at Sunnydale.

Having looked at the facilities and support available at Sunnydale the North East Rugby League decided that the Centre should host the Champions schools finals on Saturday 29th January.

The decision was made easier because our local school St. John’s is in the final of all but one of the age groups. Our congratulations to St. John’s staff and players. St. John’s has produced a host of talented players over the years that have formed the bedrock of the Tigers ever since we set up a junior section in 2003.

However there will be talented players on show that we still are not aware of and our coaches will be at the games looking for newcomers. This will be especially true at under 12 or year 7 level.

The fact that the finals are taking place at our home venue and will involve lots of the Tigers current players will have some impact on our training. We will keep you informed. However at the moment players should assume that normal training is on.

We hope to make this a quality event and as such the Tigers are looking for volunteers to help with the organisation of the day. Further details of the whole event can be found on the North East Rugby League and West Durham Rugby League websites.

Under 16 training date and time changed.

Training for the under 16s will now start on Thursday 3rd February at 7pm at Sunnydale. Registration will start on that date and new players are very welcome.

Coaches meet with Andy Kelly and Robin Peers Regional Player Development Managers.

Nobody will have failed to notice that the England National side was a dismal failure yet again in the recent Four Nations competition in Australia. This followed on from an equally dismal World Cup effort in 2008. With the World Cup coming back to Britain in 2013 and Wales being involved in the 2011 Four Nations much has been said about how we are going to get our performance at international level on par with Australia and New Zealand.

The view of many people in the game is that our best players simply do not have the technical skills of the best from down under and that this is a reflection of the quality of coaching they have received from an early age. The game is now involved in a process of up skilling and supporting our caches in order to make them better coaches and so produce better players. This is where the meeting with Andy and Robin fits in. We have now set up a coaching group in which all coaches will meet together and share ideas and experiences to the betterment of all. We are part of a process which is going on throughout the country.

The next meeting of the group is on Tuesday 1st February at 7pm at Sunnydale. Everyone interested in coaching is welcome to attend.

Under 18 game this Sunday is ON

The Tigers under 18 side will play Hull Dockers this Sunday which is the 9th January 2011. Please meet at the Leisure Centre at 12-15pm for a 1-30pm kick off.

Will you please confirm with Joe that you are available and will players who have got new phione numbers recently please let Joe have the new numbers.

Under 18 training is not taking place on the 4th January.

Yorkshire Youth League calls off all games until the New Year

Reacting to the ongoing reports of snow and ice over the weekend Yorkshire League fixtures secretary Alan Parker has called off all fixtures for this week. Alan has done this not only because of pitch conditions but also because of the risks involved in travelling in these conditions. As a result our game against Batley Boys on Sunday is off. Our next fixture will now be on Sunday 9th January at home to Hull Dockers.

Training takes place as usual this week at 8pm on Tuesday 21st December at St. John’s in the Sports Hall.

The appalling weather conditions for the second winter in succession have intensified the debate about whether the game should switch entirely to summer. A consultation process is going on at the moment and if you want to express your view you can log onto the Rugby Football League website and follow the links to the questionnaire.

Start of under 16 training date announced.

Training for the under 16 team will start in preparation for the new season on Saturday 5th February at Sunnydale Leisure Centre. Training will start at 10am and go on until 11-30 am.

As we all know last season was a bit of a disappointment mainly because of injuries. However the talent in the squad is such that this year we should do much better.

What is also important is for everyone to encourage new players to join us. So if you do know of people who are interested make a big effort to get them to training in February so that we can get them signed up well in advance of the season starting in March.

Raffle

The main prize in the Tigers raffle Ws won by Mr. Embleton from Crook. Betty sold the winning ticket. In total we sold tickets worth £443 which is an excellent result. Thanks to everyone who bought tickets, donated prizes and who organised the raffle.

New website for Rugby League in West Durham

Everyone can now keep up to date with all aspects of the game in our area. Karl Stephenson has set up a site to report on what is going on in schools and colleges in West Durham as well as containing information about clubs and development activity in general. The new site is located at http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/westdurhamrugbyleague/ and supplements and reinforces the existing North East Rugby League site

Christmas Party is definitely on.

Because of the weather some doubt existed about the Christmas Party. IT IS DEFINITLEY ON

It is on Saturday 11th between 7pm and 11pm at the Bishop Auckland Cricket Club. Admission is free to everyone but please bring food for the buffet supper. Please invite family and friends.

Some people still need to return raffle tickets. These can be returned on the night to go into the draw.

Next Committee Meeting

The next Committee Meeting is on Tuesday 8th February 2011 at 7-30pm Shildon Sunnydale Leisure Centre. This is the last Committee Meeting before the new summer season so please make it a priority.

Under 18s game off

The under 18s Cup game against Myton on Sunday 12th December is already off. Next game should be on Sunday 19th away against Batley Boys.

Training arrangements

Under 18s training is now at St. John’s on Tuesdays at 8pm in the Sports Hall. Karl Stephenson is taking the training during the bad weather.

Training for the under 14s is off until the New Year. It will start again on Saturday 8th January at 10am.

Tom will update you about arrangements for the under 10s and 12s

Christmas Party Saturday 11th December Bishop Auckland Cricket Club 7pm

Everyone is invited from all ages including under 18s

Please bring along food for buffet supper. No charge for the event but raffle prizes are still required. These can be brought to the Committee Meeting the previous Tuesday. Raffle tickets can also be returned then.

Date of next Committee Meeting

Tuesday 7th December at 7-30pm at Sunnydale Leisure Centre.

Coaches meeting reorganised

Because of the appalling weather the meeting with Andy Kelly and Robin Peers has been postponed. It will now take place on Wednesday 12th January starting at 7pm. The meeting will take place at Sunnydale.

ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN COACHING AND WHO WANTS TO BECOME QUALIFIED SHOULD CONTACT PHIL. TO BECOME A QUALIFIED COACH YOU NEED TO BE 16 PLUS

Weather brings chaos to the Tigers

The unexpected cold and snow have created havoc for the Tigers in particular and the game in general over the past few days.

On Saturday Sunnydale was due to host the North East finals of the Champions Schools competition which had been switched from Jarrow due to a waterlogged pitch. The finals had particular interest for us since they are dominated by St. John’s and so the postponement of the finals until the New Year was a disappointment to all concerned.

Om Saturday morning under 10/12 training was also called off as was the under 18s game against Sutton Trust in Hull.

The coaching course with two of our members on it was also affected. Mark and Matthew being unable to travel to North Tyneside because of the snow.

This week training should start for the under 14s. It will take place, conditions permitting at 11 am an hour later than previously notified. Normal under10s/12s training should be on at 10am.

The under 18s should be training at St. John’s in the sports hall on Tuesday starting at 8pm in preparation for a visit, in the BARLA Cup, to Myton in North Hull on Sunday.

On Wednesday evening at 7pm we have the meeting for coaches and potential coaches at Sunnydale and our colleagues at Durham Demons are meeting at 5pm in Durham to get that Club on a sounder footing for the new season.

ALL THESE EVENTS ARE VULNERABLE TO THE WEATHER AND IT IS IMPORTNT THAT PEOPLE GET UP TO DATE INFORMATION.

For information about under 18 activities please contact JOE SMITH on 07974132670

For under 14s info please contact BAZ AND JEN EGGLESTONE on 07955848562

For under10/12 updates please contact TOM DAWSON on 07983223891

People are concerned about getting their raffle tickets back. These will just have to be handed in when it becomes possible.

Everyone a winner at packed Presentation Night

Tigers under 18 England international Jamie Love was guest of honour at a packed and enthusiastic Presentation Night at Bishop Auckland cricket club.

Tom Dawson, introducing Jamie, pointed out his spectacular achievement which, he hoped, would be an inspiration to the many talented players at the Club to try to do the same.

Tom pointed to the outstanding progress the Club has node in the 15 months since we were evicted from the Union Club. “Our under 18 side has competed well in the Yorkshire Youth League, our under 16s, after a difficult season due to injuries, is now set to move on and we have established a viable and talented under 12 side” he said.

“However the highlight of the year has been the total dominance of our under 13s. They have won everything going and remain undefeated throughout the year.” Tom added

Referring to the coming season which is due to start in March 2011 Tom said that our main priority is for the under 12s to become as successful as our under 13s last year and to build up the under 10s side.”

Jamie Love then presented the trophies to the winners of the various awards. For the under 15s Shane Porter was awarded the Players Player of the Year trophy whist Tom Robinson got the Coaches Player of the Year trophy. Jonny Hall received his certificate from North East Rugby League having been named at prop for the North East under 15s “dream team” at the recent North East Rugby League Presentation Night.

For the under 11s Jamie Lovegreen was awarded the Players Player trophy and Leon Ebdon the Coaches Player of the Year. The enthusiastic and talented Sam Callaghan was awarded the Clubman of the Year trophy.

At under 13 level the Players Player of the Year trophy went to the Tigers top try scorer Lloyd Purser whilst the Coaches Player of the Year award went to Alex Bielby in recognition for the outstanding performances he puts in week by week.

However to recognise the outstanding performance of the entire side throughout the season all under 13s player received individual awards.

In winding up proceedings Tom was at pains to point out that all this progress comes as a result of a huge number of parents and volunteers who coach the sides, administer our activities, organise fundraising and social events and get players and kit to games. “The level of commitment is tremendous” Tom added, “The Club wants to thank everyone who has worked so hard to get us where we are today.”

 

Training for the 2011 Season

Training arrangements for the upcoming season were announced at the Junior Presentation Night.

Training for the under 12s and under 10s will start immediately. The under 14s resume training on Saturday 4th December. The under 16s will recommence on the first Saturday in February.

All training sessions start at 10am and are at Shildon Sunnydale Leisure Centre.

THE END OF THE CHAMPIONS SCHOOLS COMPETITION LOCALLY AND THE START OF TRAINING FOR THE NEW SEASON MEANS THAT THIS IS AN INDEAL TIME FOR NEW PLAYERS TO JOIN THE TIGERS. EVERYONE IS WELCOME IRRESPECTIVE OF ABILITY OR EXPERINCE.”

To join the Club contact the secretary on 0191 3849809

Jamie Love gets England Community Lions call up

Following on from what was widely regarded as an excellent performance representing Northern Counties Jamie Love has been included in the 26 man England Community Lions squad which will play internationals against France, Wales and Australia in November. The first game against France in Bordeaux is on the 3rd November.

For Jamie, who recently along with Mark Sowerby, signed for Gateshead Thunder this represent a chance to develop his career in the game still further. It also is a vote of confidence in all the coaches and volunteers who have made this possible.

The Tigers have always had the twin objectives of on the one hand encouraging wide participation in the game but on the other hand we have always wanted to provide an environment in which talented and committed players can have the chance of going to the highest level.

Jamie’s achievement we hope will further reinforce our links with Thunder and especially provide an incentive to all players in the Club to work hard and make the best possible use of their talents. We have several players in the Club who can follow in Jamie’s footsteps and who can make it to the top of the game

Dates for your diary

Presentation Night - 12th November 7pm

Club Christmas Party - 11th Dec 7pm

Both these events take place at Bishop Auckland Cricket Club.

Further details will be announced later but we do need contributions to the Christmas food hamper and raffle and tombolla prizes.

Under 13s to play Wallsend in League Finals

  

Wallsend Eagles defeated Gateshead Storm under 13s to reach the League Grand Final. They will now play the Tigers on Saturday 9th October at Monckton Stadium in Jarrow kick off now at 10-15 am

For Wallsend this will be an opportunity to gain revenge for their recent loss to the Tigers in the Cup Final.

For the Tigers the game will be the last in the season in which they are so far undefeated. A win on the 9th will mean that the Tigers take all three trophies this season winning the nines competition, the Cup and League.

The Tigers will go into this game as favourites but will not under estimate a talented Wallsend side. Those who were around last season will remember only to well have the Tigers lost narrowly to Wallsend in the Cup. The Tigers will be looking to avoid a repetition of that game.

 

Jamie Love called into the North of England under 18s  squad

 

Following on from trial games in Whitehaven in which the North East took on district sides from Copeland and Allerdale in Cumbria the side to represent the North of England in representative matches against Yorkshire, Lancashire and the South was selected. Three players from the North East were selected including Tigers and Gateshead Thunder player Jamie Love. The other players chosen from the North East were Tom Bramwell and Josh Stoker.

Our congratulations go to Jamie and the others. To get selected against competition from perhaps competition from Cumbria is a fantastic achievement.

Congratulations go to Karl Stevenson our community coach who has been appointed  the coach to the North of England team.

 

North East Rugby League Junior presentation night

 

The North East Junior League Presentation Night is on Saturday 23rd October. It starts at 6-30pm and ends at 10pm.

It will take place at Gateshead College Baltic\ Campus, Baltic Business Centre, Quarryfield Road, Gateshead NE8 3BE 

Tickets cost £5 and include a two course meal and entertainment.

The Tigers hope to feature prominently in the awards especially at under131evel. However we will have to wait and see what happens.

We have decided that the easiest way of organising is for players and their family and friends to book directly with North East Rugby League.

To book tickets please phone 0191 477 773 or email Jade Mackie at Jade.mackie@rfl.uk.com

Against the background of recent events we want a huge turnout at this event so please make every effort to get along to what should be a great evening and a fitting end to the summer.

 

Tigers own presentation night

 

As usual the Tigers will be celebrating our own achievements at our own Club presentation night. However the chosen date is not now suitable because it clashes with other events. We now hope to hold our night in early November. We will keep you updated

 

Report on North East Rugby League Disciplinary Panel

 

The panel which heard our appeal against the initial disciplinary process consisted of Rod Finlay in the Chair and of Andy Kelly and Peter Wharton. George Taylor took the minutes. 

The proceeding were conducted extremely well by Rod who first established a list of all the issues which were to be discussed. 

The Tigers presented a case to the panel based upon three basic points.

The first point was that the entire administration of the league had been lax and that as a result the Tigers were being unfairly treated and singled out. 

In response to this point the panel ruled that other disciplinary issues were not relevant to this case. The case had to be judged on it’s merits. The fact that other breaches of discipline allegedly had taken place was based upon hearsay evidence and was not admissible. 

The second line that the Tigers presented was to ague that when Karl saw the documentation and signed the forms the players were in fact registered. This point was accepted by the panel however rule 17.9 clearly stated that a player must have an identification card before they can take the field. The Tigers were in breach of this rule. 

Finally the Tigers argued that they had not, knowingly and willingly, broken the rule. The Tigers believed that all was in order when the players played. This was supported by Karl who reported accurately what had happened. 

The decision was that the Tigers had broken the rules. However the panel overturned the previous “punishment” suggesting that it was wrong to award the games concerned to the opposition. The results would be reinstated as a consequence. However one point would be deducted for each offence. The Club was also fined £50 with a suspended fine of £150. 

Consequently the Tigers under 13s retain their unbeaten record and remained top of the League. 

Certain issues now have to be addressed. The first is that a distinction was made between a player being registered and a player having the card to enable them to play. The panel said that a player must be registered before they can train and a player must have a card before they can play. 

It further follows that the Tigers must comply exactly with the letter of the law. If a side comes without the cards the game will not take place and checks of cards will now be routine. Previously people had not checked when everyone knows the players are OK from previous games. 

The Club would like to thank the panel for spending a long time doing a very professional job. We would also like to thank Karl for backing our case against his own managers. This does Karl great credit.

In the end we got justice out of this process which is all we asked for. The issue of other clubs breaking the rules is yet to be discussed but remains valid.

Tigers face disciplinary charges from North East Rugby League

 

People who use the North East Rugby League website to follow local events will probably have noticed that our undefeated under 13 side has had two defeats recorded against it and that we are now placed behind Wallsend in the league table. 

This followed on from a disciplinary hearing when the Club was found guilty of fielding unregistered players. The punishment for this alleged offence was to have the result of the two under 13 fixtures concerned reversed. 

The Tigers do not accept that the outcome of the procedure is a just one and have appealed. 

Based upon the fact that an appeal is pending the under 13 play offs have been put on hold. Hence we are not playing Gateshead Storm this weekend as is advertised on the North East Rugby League website. 

We will inform everyone of the result of the appeal in due course 

Sportsmans Dinner

 

Joe has organised another fundraising Sportsmans Dinner following on from previous highly successful events. 

This time it is on Thursday 21st October and it will be at the George Hotel Piercebridge. 

Entertainment will be provided by top local comic Dave (Grizzly) Adams and the guest speaker is Leeds United and England Legend Norman Hunter. The whole event is compared by the North East’s top MC Graham Foster. 

Tickets for what promises to be an outstanding event cost £30 and are available to Club members from Phil. 

Groups and companies wishing to book tables of 10 should contact Joe Smith

 

Membership Fees now due

 

Membership fees for the 2010/11 season are now due. The annual membership costs £15. In addition players pay £3 per week subs. 

Membership forms are available from Phil and cheques should be made payable to Durham Tigers Rugby League Club. 

Our application for Sports England funding has been long delayed and so at the moment we have to rely on our own fundraising for all the money we need. Against this background it is vital for players and supporters of the Club to pay promptly.

 

Training

Training for the under 13s and under 15s restarts on Thursday 19th August at the normal times. Training for the under 18s is on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6-30pm. The under 11s train on Saturdays at 10am.

On Saturday 21st August all sides are taking part in the Gateshead "nines" competition.

 

Return of raffle tickets and money

All money, ticket stubs and unsold tickets need to be returned before 21st August. Please return them to Lauren or Phil. The Club gets 65p for each ticket sold. The remainder goes to provide support for players sustaining serious injuries whilst playing or training. Please make a big effort to promote the raffle which has some outstanding prizes

Holiday Activity dates

Karl Stephenson our Community Coach has organised introductory courses for new players on the following dates.

Under 9s Monday 23rd August.

Under 11s Tuesday 24th August

Under 13s Wednesday 25th August

Under 15s Thursday 26th August

Whilst these days are intended to introduce new players to the game existing players are very welcome.

To register for the course please contact Karl on 07810654532 or phone the Leisure Centre on01388777340

Further details will be made available later

Date of Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Club will be held on Tuesday 7th September at 7-30pm at Shildon Sunnydale Leisure Centre.

Everyone associated with the Club is welcome to attend and take part in discusssion. Voting is restricted to paid up members.

For details of Committee posts to fill and other issues please contact Joe Smith

Date of next Committee meeting

The next Committee meeting is on Tuesday 24th August at 7-30pm in the meetings room at Shildon Leisure Centre.

Everyone associated with the Club is welcome to attend

Cup semi finals

The draw for the semi finals of the North East Cup Competition was made at the recent League meeting.

The games will take place on 11th September

Under 13 Peterlee v Wallsend, Gateshead v Tigers

Under 15 Tigers v Whitley Bay, Peterlee v Wallsend

The Cup finals will be at Wallsend on 25th September 

 

Problems with contact form

THe contact form part of the website is not functioning correctly at present. It will be fixed soon.

In the meantime to contact the club please phone the secretary or one of the people listed on the profiles section.

Will the parent of Leon Eldon who has tried to use the contact form now please phone or email the secretary?

Committee meeting July

Please note that the July committee meeting will be held on Tuesday 13th July 7-30pm at Sunnydale Leisure Centre

Agenda items to Phil ASAP.

Date for pre season training for the under 18s

Pre season training for the under 18 side starts at 6pm on Tuesday 15th June. New players are welcome

Dates for next under 11/under 9 festivals are fixed

Sat 26th June - Wallsend.

Sat 3rd July - Peterlee

Sat 17th July - Whitley Bay

Sat 31sy July - Durham Tigers Shildon

Updated fixtures for under 13s and under 15s

The updated fixtures are now available on the North East Rugby League website - follow the links.

Extra Cup Fixture

The newly amended fixtures are incomplete since Hartlepool have now entered the Cup competition. We play Hartlepool at home at under 15 level on Saturday 25th June.

Gareth Wright gets England Community Lions call up

Yet more success has come to players in the Tigers under 17 side. Following on from the news that Jamie Love and Mark Sowerby have signed contracts with Gateshead Thunder comes the news that Gareth Wright has been selcted for the under 18s Community Lions side to play Scotland in Glasgow on Saturday 12th June.

Gareth was one of the first group of junior players who joined the Club several years ago and he has been a constant member of the side ever since.

Commenting on Gareth's success Chairman Joe Smith who is also team manager said that "Gareth thoroughly deserves this honour. He has shown dedication and determination throughout his time at the Club and has developed into a fine player who has a clear understanding of the game. Gaeth's selection, along with the success of Mark and Jamie shows that we now have a clear pathway to the very top of the game for players with the right skills and attitude. We know that several other Tigers players are on the verge of selction and that we now have, in conjunction with Gateshead Thunder, established a system which will give all our players the opportunity to reach the top."

The Community Lions side is drawn from players throughout the country and is open to any player who has not signed professional forms.

Gareth's success makes him the first Tiger to turn into a Lion but given the quality of some of our younger players and the coching quality we now have available to us he will not be the last.

Pre season training for who is now the under 18 side starts on Tuesday 15th June at5 6-30pm at the Leisure Centre. The Tigers welcome any players who want to become involved with or without experience of Rugby League. Please contact Phil on 0191 3849809 for details 

Players needed

All sides in the Club need more players. We are looking to recruit players both with some experience of the game or who are completely new to the game.

At the moment the under 13s and under 15s train on Thursday evenings at Shildon Sunnydale Leisure Centre starting at 6-30pm

The under 9s and 11s train on Saturday mornings at 10am

At presnt the under 17s are not training because they play during the winter. Dates for pre-season training will be announced soon.

To get involved with the Tigers all you need to do is to turn up at training or phone Phil on 0191 3849809

New coaching courses announced for half term and the summer holidays

Following on from the limited success of the under 11s festival last weekend our first priority is to increase the number of players at under 9 and under 11 age groups.

As a result we will be running a course at the Leisure Centre for boys and girls aged 8 to 11 on Thursdy and Friday the 3rd and 4th June. The course will start at 9-30am and go on until 12noon.

The cost of the course is £2 per day

Application forms are available from Stuart at the Leisure Centre or from Tom or Phil

Dates have also been announced for the summer holidays.

On August 23rd we have a course for under 9 players.

The course for under 11 players is on the 24th, the course for under 13s is on the 25th and finally a course for under 15s takes place on the 26th August.

All couress start at 9-30am and go on until noon. Hence they are intended as taster sessions for new players rather than courses which will develop the skills of existing players

Under 17s Presentation Night Friday 7th May Masons Arms

Another special night at a packed Masons Arms marked the end of the under 17s season in the Yorkshire Youth League.

Chairman Joe Smith welcomed Chris Hood, Stu Robson and Andy Hood from the Thunder and said in his opening remarks that the new link between the Tigers and Thunder providd great opportunities for all involved.

Joe also welcomed Karl Stevenson, a former Tigers coach and player, who in now working in our area as Commumity Coach.

Joe pointed out that the season saw the Tigers taking on some of the best talent in the country, playing at a very high standard, he lads had to compete with next generation Supr League stars. Howeer the side has been up for the challenge throughout the season and in the last game against Oulton showed just what progress they have made.

The side will compete at under 18 level next season and with the coaching expertise and experience brought by Stu and Andy should be very effective.

The awards on the night went to the following players-

Anthony Spark gained the Chairman's Award. In making the award Joe referred to Anthony's special level of commitment, his optimisim and his willingness to take on new challenges.

Chris Hood presented the Player of the Year award to Jamie Love and Players' Player of the Year went to Mark Sowerby.

Steve Middlemas was the deserving winner of the Clubman of the Year award in recognition of the unswerving support he has given to the side in a whole range of activities ranging from floodlight mangement, pitch marking, changing room maintenance not to mention coach journey entertainment.

The under 13 side presented Mark Sowerby with a signed shirt in recognition of the fabulous effort he put into coaching the side. Mark, who along with Jamie, now play for Thunder, has had to give up his coaching role in order to concentrate on his playing career.

Finally Joe thanked and presented gifts to a whole range of parents and volunteers who make the Club the success it is.

 

Jamie Love and Mark Sowerby get contracts from Thunder

After the under 17 game on Sunday11th April it was announced that Jamie and Mark had signed on for Thunder and will become members of the first team squad.

We all want to congratulate them on this achievement and wish them well.

The other good news is that other players are also under consideration and that the door is now open to everyone in the Club with the talent and determination required to go as far as they are able.

The contracts will undoubtedly encourage younger players in the Club to try and do the same thing. It also shows the benifit of our new link with Thunder which we hope will go from strength to strength.

Throughout the season in the Yorkshire Youth League we have played against lads with professional contracts with local clubs and we knew that many of our players have equal ability. Mark and Jamie now have a great opportunity to go the way of Chris Thorman from Wallsend who went on to play in Super League and captained England.

Whilst both are now Thunder players they will remain eligible to play for the Tigers at under 18 level next September 

Welcome to Karl. Newly appointed West Durham Community Coach

 

We are delighted to announce that Karl Stephenson has been appointed West Durham Community Coach. Phil Selby writes -

"I have known Karl since he was 13 and moved from Hull to Co. Durham. He approached me to help with the formation of a team at Durham Johnston School. Karl had played for West Hull since the age of 8 and wanted to continue with the game.

From that point onwards Karl was involved with the development of Durham Tigers. Karl took his level two coaching course and immediately along with Rob Aspden, Jonny Wright, Steve Johnston and other took charge of junior development.

Karl has the distinction of being the youngest player ever to play fo our open age side making his first appearance on his 16rth birthday.

When Durham Demons got going Karl became their coach and is at the moment establishing an open age side for them in the Summer Conference. Karl has recently being studying for a Sports Science degree from Leeds and he has played university rugby league whilst in Leeds.

Threre is no doubt that Karl has all the qualities to make a success of his new job including energy and determination. He is absolutely committed to the game and his enthusiasm and common sense are great assets.

Karl starts his new job on 19th April"

Easter holidy arrangements

Under 13s

There is no training on Thursday 8th April. This is because on Friday 9th April we are joining with Peterlee to play a visiting team from Yorkshire.

The game was to have kicked off at 11am but the kick off time is now 2pm. This is because the Yorkshire team needed more time to travel. We will now meet at 12-30pm at the swimming pool to travel to Peterlee.

This game gives us a chance to play against quality opposition and will be a good start to get our season underway which has been disrupted by bad weather. It is particularly important that those players who either have been selected for the North East squad or who want to be selected in future turn out. Nevertheless everyone is welcome and will get a game.

The following day 10th April is the North East nines. Again we will be going to Peterlee in this case to defend the title we won last season. We meet at the swimming pool at 9am. Any problems contact Baz or Jen.

Under 15s

The side is training on Thursday 7th April from 11am to 1pm. Training may also take place in the evening. The training will be at Shildon. On Satuday 10th April the North East nines take place. We will meet at the swimming pool at 9am. If you are going directly to the ground at Peterlee please let Rob know.

On Sunday 11th April we hope to go to Garforth with the under 17s who have a Yorkshire League fixture.

At training all the lads were keen on this trip but we need a big commitment from everyone. Again this game will give us a good start to our delayed season and will give us a run out against quality opposition which will be good experience for everyone especcially those lads chosen for the North East. It also is a good opportunity to introduce new players to the Club.

With the nines on Saturday and the Garforth trip on Sunday it is vital we get a big turnout at Training on Thursday I will give you bus pick up details at training or on Saturday

Course for players age 8 to 11

A reminder of the "Introduction to Rugby League" course we are ruuning at Shildon on April 8th and 9th between 10am and 2pm.

This course is open to both boys and girls and is an attempt to get teams going at under 9 and under 11.

The course costs just ?5 for the two days.

Please spread the word amongst family and friends. To book a place contact Stuart at the Leisure Centre on 01388 777340

On Saturday 10th April there is a chance for newcomers to play in a festival which we hope will be at Shildon

 

Under 13 Development Squad

Individual letters have gone out to the players giving them the good or bad news. However I do not have a full list at the moment. When the list is available I will give you the names. Congratulations to those who got picked. Commiserations to those who did not get selected. It is clear that many players who would have easily made the squad a couple of years ago have been unlucky. We hope to encourage North East Rugby League to attend matches on a regular basis in future in order to broaden the criteria on which the squad is selected

 

Tigers players selected for North East Player Development Squads

Congratulations to all of our players who have been selected for the regional squads

The lads selected for the under 14 squad are Matthew Dockwray, Ryan Ellison, Rhys Jary, Sam Milton and Bradley Pennock.

At under 15 level Ryan Allison, Jonny Hall, Josh Hoggart,Shane Porter and Ryan Weldon were all selected.

At under 16 Louis Johnson and Connor Smith made the squad.

Congratulations to everyone who made the squads and better luck next time to those who were not selected.

Interestingly several players from our area who do not play for the Club have also been selected. These players are very welcome at the Tigers and we will be looking to involve them soon.

The players who have been selected for the under13 squad will soon be announced. We will let you have details as soon as they are available

 

First games at Shildon for u13s and u15s  Saturday 27th March

After two weeks of delay the season will finally get going this weekend with games against Peterlee. The games will take place at our new home ground at Shildon Sunnydale Leisure centre. The posts will be installed this week and all is set for a bright future.

The under 13 game was postponed on Saturday due to the weather so the side now has two fixtures to slot into the season.

New coaches join the Club

We are really pleased to welcome Stu Robson, Andy Hood and Steven Horsley to the Club.

Stu and Andy join us to complement Steve Middlemas as the coaching team for our under 17s. This is following on from our meeting with Chris Hood who is the Gateshead Thunder coach where it was agreed that the Tigers and Thunder would work in close co-operation in future to give our players the best opportunity to develop their skills and make progress in the game.

Stu and Andy are also keen to work with our other sides who. in turn, will have the chance to get signed by Thunder if they show the potential. The contact with Stu and Andy will mean that our players will contantly be monitored by the Thunder management.

Steven Horsley is at the moment taking his level two qualification and has been helping Rob and Neil with the under 15 side. He has experience playing for Jarrow Vikings, West Bowling and Kippax. He will bring a wide range of experience to our Club which can only be of benefit to us.

North East Rugby League website up and running

North East Rugby League has a new and very impressive website. It can be found at www.northeastrl.co.uk

It is well worth a visit because it shows all the results, league tables and fixtures.

It also contains lots of background information and links.

With the new management in place in the region things are really improving rapidly. Soon we will have a West Durham Community Coach appointment who will work closely with us, the schools and Shildon Sunnydale Leisure Centre to introduce far more people to the game and to get new players for us.

Easter holidays coaching for players aged 8 to 11.

On April 8th and 9th between 10am and 2-30pm we will be running a course at Shildon Sunnydale Leisure Centre for players of both genders.

The course is open to players with some expereience of the game but is intended for those who are entirely new to Rugby League.

The course will be taken by North East Rugby League Community Coaches with the suppoert of our own coaches and volunteers.

The cost will be just ?5 for both days.

Information and application forms are available from Stuart at the Leisure Centre the phone number is 01388 777 340

If you want further details please phone Phil Selby on 0191 3849809

The under 9s and under 11s play in festivals held throughout the area and will soon start playing in in a league competition

Coach support evening

On Thursday 18th March Andy Kelly, former Widnes, Doncaster and Gateshead coach as well as the current Irish national coach will be at the Club.

He will lead a session for the under 13s staring at 5-30pm and that will be followed by a session with the under 15s.

Following on will be a talk and discussion about new approaches to coaching.

All existing, former and potential coaches are welcome to attend.

We hope that this will be the start of regular meetings between Tigers coaches which will provide them with more support, new ideas and new skills.

Regional Player Development Groups

The North East Rugby League is to set up player decvelopment groups at all ages from under 13 to under 16. These groups will form the basis for the North East regional sides which play other regional sides. The whole process is designed to spot and develop talented players who might have the skills required to play at a professional level.

To start the process a series of talent identification sessions are to be held.They will all take place at the Gateshead Stadium

The under 16 session is on Saturday 27th Feb between 9am and 12noon

The under 15 session is on Saturday 6th March between 1pm and 4pm

The under 14 session is on Saturday 6th March between 9am and 12 noon

The under 13 session is on Saturday 27th February between 1pm and 4pm.

Many people will already have invites but some people have joined the Club since last season and some people missed out on regional selection lastt time.

 

BECAUSE THIS IS A TALENT SPOTTING AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WE WILL NOMINATE ANY PLAYER WHO WISHES TO TAKE PART. LETTERS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT TRAINING .  

 

Review of 2009

The main event of the year was,of course, the decision of our former partners to chuck us out. Subsequently much of the life of the Club has revolved around trying to move on. This remains very much the situation at the start of the new decade and will no doubt work itself out over the next month.

 

However Rugby League clubs exist to play the game and in this respect life has been interesting.

 

Our under 17s now play in the second of two divisions in the Yorkshire Youth League and they have found this to be a much tougher prospect than being in division four the previous year.Nevertheless the side has maintained a good mid table position throughout and has only suffered one significant defeat and that was in the Cup at the hands of premier league club Hull Wyke.

 

It is important in judging the success of the side to reflect that most of the players they now play against are academy players at professional clubs in Super League. They are top rate players many of whom will soon be playing at Super League level. Against this background the success of the side is obvious and reflects positively on the coaching staff, the administration but above all on the players.

 

The under 15 side continues to make excellent progress. We have more lads from our Club representing the North East than anyone else. Our problem has been that injuries to key players have meant that we have yet to field our potentially strongest side. wee have also been hampered by the appalling recent weather which has resulted in a series of postponed games just when the side was coming together. However we must now aim for the summer league and go into that competition with the sole objective of winning it. Our last performance against Peterlee showed just what we can do.

 

The success of the under 13 side was one of the high points of the year. We won the nines competition and the league. Unfortunately a relatively poor performance in the North East Cup final when we lost narrowly to Wallsend meant that we failed to win all three completions.

 

However the quality of the side is very high and we also have high expectations. Especial thanks to Mark Sowerby for the excellent work he has undertaken.

 

Off the field Joe Smith has been very successful at fund raising via our Sportsman's dinners and through sponsorship. Joe has put together a strong team of volunteers who are the backbone of the Club. The work of our parents, carers, coaches and various volunteers is outstanding and is highly valued.

 

In 2010 the stress will be on developing our under 11 side and hopefully getting more girls activity. This will also be the year in which we need to consider the development of an open age side.

On the wider front we are expecting the appointment of a number of additional community coaches which will enable us to do more work in schools and colleges. Potentially the sport in the North East has never been in a better place to go forward. However the trick for all of us is to transform potential into actual performance.

Excellent Night at the Mason's

 

Thanks to all those who organised the social and the raffle at the Mason's Arms last Friday. The raffle made a profit for the Club of ?600. Thanks to everyone who donated some high quality prizes and thanks to all who provided food and bought tickets

 Lots of people made a big effort but especially thanks to Betty for all the running around and prize wrapping and the rest she did

Tigers no longer welcome at Bishop Rugby Union.

In response to Bishop Auckland Rugby Union Clubs decision to evict Durham Tigers Rugby League Club, the subsequent notice posted on there web-site and distributed to there members and supporters.

Durham Tigers are a Bishop Auckland based amateur Rugby League Football Club, currently running three successful junior sections in specific age groups of under 12?s, under 14?s and under 17?s, drawing it?s players and membership from South West Durham, predominantly from Bishop Auckland (over 85% of our members live in Bishop Auckland)  with more interest from the local community areas and local towns continuing to grow.

In response to the Bishop Auckland Rugby Union clubs decision to evict Durham Tigers with short notice and in reply to the notice posted on their website, we would like to clarify the following:

  1. Durham Tigers have operated a junior section for over 5 years, this was set up with the blessing of Bishop Auckland Rugby Union Club and in fact the clubs joined forces to set up the Bishop Auckland Rugby Action Group in association with the local authority. The main rational behind this was to promote ?Rugby? and enable better access as a multi-sports club to funding via grants and aid from various sports and community bodies. This has proved very successful in acquiring funding to support both clubs and develop the facilities at West Mills rugby ground. To highlight the success of the action group the clubs were awarded jointly the County Durham Sports Club of the Year earlier this year. In their time at West Mills, Durham Tigers have made several donations to the Union Club from grants/funding and also direct from the clubs own funds. The most recent being ?5000 towards improvement of the floodlights, ?800 towards utilities bills and as recently as 18th July the union club management board accepted an offer of ?250 from Durham Tigers to purchase a storage container. Durham Tigers have also supported several local charities and good causes, most recently donating ?1200 to the Evergreen Primary School in Bishop Auckland that specialises in providing facilities for special needs students.

 

  1. In their time at Bishop Auckland Rugby Club, Durham Tigers have supported fully and complied with every request made of them by the Rugby Union club to enable the smooth operation for the provision of facilities and operation for both codes of rugby. In 2008 we set up a working/liaison committee in conjunction with the union club members to enable clear and direct communication between both clubs. As a direct result of the continued dialogue and work of this committee, Bishop Auckland Rugby Club offered Durham Tigers a 20 years tenancy agreement to continue to provide and play Rugby League at the West Mills ground. The documentation for this agreement was received as recently as 21st June 2009 and was with Durham Tigers legal representatives for consideration/ratification when the verbal eviction notice was given to Durham Tigers by specific members of Bishop Auckland Rugby Union Club. At the recent Management Board meeting held last week on Thursday 18th July 2009 the tenancy agreement was discussed and there was no indication that there were any issues or that Bishop Auckland Rugby Union club had changed its mind or were to rescind the tenancy offer. Bishop Auckland Rugby Union Club has not issued any formal notice to Durham Tigers or formally withdrawn the offer of the tenancy as at Sunday 26th July 2009.

 

  1. In the website notice the Union Club intimates that there is competition for facilities over the winter months and that Junior Rugby League in the North East is now played throughout winter, This in not strictly correct, for the coming season 2009/2010 Durham Tigers will only have one team playing over the winter months, that being our under 17?s team, this will be the lowest ever number of teams (1) we have operated in the said period since our junior section was formed. The under 12?s and under 14?s teams season are due to finish in mid October. Also in the notice it acknowledges that the Union Club will let the Durham Tigers complete there season before eviction on 10th October 2009, this is not strictly correct, as this is the only the date for the completion of the under 12? and under 14?s teams season and in fact the under 17?s team season will not finish until 11th April 2010.
  1. It also intimates that there is competition between the clubs for players. We do not accept this as an issue and find this difficult to understand this viewpoint. Over recent years many of our members have played both codes of Rugby and hopefully will continue to do so with our blessing. We have also supported the union club in its development and helped them in recruiting players on several occasions, helping them directly set up a colt?s team in 2006 as well as encouraging players to join their under 15?s team last season.  Though paramount on Durham Tigers agenda is to develop the sport of Rugby League in Bishop Auckland for both our playing and none playing members, we do understand and appreciate the need for the opportunity for people to participate in many other sports including Rugby Union. We will endeavour to work with any club providing opportunities and development for both young and old to participate in sport in the region.

 

In summary we feel extremely disappointed that Bishop Auckland Rugby Club has come to a decision to evict Durham Tigers from the West Mills ground without any dialogue or consultation with ourselves, nor do we believe any substantial or justified reason for the decision. Their decision also demonstrates a disregard for the young people of the area involved in the sport of Rugby League (over 80 10-17 year olds from the combined Durham Tigers teams), who could well have found themselves unable to play games or train in the future, potentially ending a successful and effectively ran community club at the dawn of it?s development.

However  since the news broke we have been astounded and overwhelmed by the magnanimousness and generous offers from the local authority, our sponsors, funders, local sports clubs and associations  for the unconditional use of facilities, help, funding and support. We can confirm that the Durham Tigers development team have commenced negotiation to obtain the use of high standard playing and training facilities based in Bishop Auckland and will make an announcement in the very near future.

There is no doubt that with the outstanding commitment and resolve shown by its members and supporters, Durham Tigers Rugby League club will continue to thrive and develop as a community and family based club, offering the local community the opportunity to take part in the great game of Rugby. A basic message to all our members is that is ?business as usual?.

Joe Smith
Chairman
Durham Tigers ARLFC