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Newcastle Falcons issue statement as club relegated

By Online Editors
A dejected Toby Flood

Following the confirmation that Newcastle Falcons will be relegated from the Gallagher Premiership at the end of the current season, the club has issued the following statement:

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Newcastle Falcons are disappointed to confirm that we will play in the RFU Championship next season following the most competitive Premiership in recent memory.

Despite dropping down a level we are fully committed to securing promotion back to the top flight at the first attempt under the direction of Dean Richards. While we are confident of a return to the Premiership within a year, it is something we certainly do not take for granted and will approach the competition very seriously.

We remain fully committed to our playing and coaching staff as well as continued investment in our academy, which continues to produce a steady stream of talented local players.

Crowds have been growing over the last few seasons, and we will be working hard to continue to provide a fantastic match-day experience and deliver great value to our customers.

Once the RFU have confirmed the Championship season structure for 2019-20 the club will contact season ticket holders to confirm details regarding next season, and any associated changes to our pricing. These details will then be relayed to our wider supporter base.

Our stadium development plans will continue, which will help our award-winning events team to drive further excellence in hosting major conferences and exhibitions.

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The Newcastle Rugby Foundation will continue to expand and make a positive difference to the lives of over 15,000 people each season across an ever-increasing breadth and depth of programming which will tackle some of the biggest issues facing our communities in the North East and Cumbria. These include unemployment, opportunities for under-represented groups and tackling mental health.

We would like to thank all of our loyal supporters for their fantastic backing throughout the season, and we hope to welcome you all to Kingston Park next season.

This can only be achieved through the continued drive and hard work of everyone at the club with the support of our outstanding supporters and sponsors.

Newcastle Falcons have been instrumental in growing the game at every level, whether this be mini and youth rugby, women’s and girl’s rugby, volunteers, adult and county rugby, spectators, disability participation, facilities, business and attracting major events.

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Our long-term vision to achieve further growth across all areas and become one of the leading brands in the sport remains firmly intact.

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J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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