'If we go down, our nearest club is in Manchester... that's three hours on a train, a long way to go to watch Premiership rugby'
It was on a train last week to Manchester to see a specialist when it fully dawned on Toby Flood that the ramifications will be stark for England’s professional rugby landscape if Newcastle Falcons finish this season relegated to the Championship.
“It’s really important for us to be a part of the Premiership because of the knock-on effect,” said Flood to RugbyPass. “With Leeds no longer involved, our nearest club is in Manchester. I went down there to see a specialist last week and that is three hours on a train. It’s a long way to go if you want to watch high-class rugby, so to be in the Premiership is really important for the north-east.”
The surge in the sport’s popularity in the region isn’t lost on the 33-year-old rugby veteran who left Newcastle in 2008 to seek his fame and fortune with Leicester and Toulouse before returning home in summer 2017.
Rugby World Cup 2015 had boosted the game’s profile by staging matches at St James’ Park, a trend that Falcons have mirrored by annually playing a Gallagher Premiership game at the football mecca which is also due to play host to next month’s Champions Cup final between Leinster and Saracens along with an England Test match prior to the World Cup in Japan.
Those glamour fixtures are testament to the growing appetite for top-class rugby, but the north-east is now threatened with losing its fortnightly Premiership show window and stalling progress. That’s a worry for Flood.
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“Rugby has absolutely got bigger and that is one of the best thing ever to happen. The players here have put the club on the map and rugby is growing. Being an outpost up north, it’s really important to keep pushing rugby because it’s something that sits behind football and it forever will because of St James’ Park and what it means to football people.
“But we have a really impressive community department that works incredibly hard to push the rugby message and that’s really important. We have contacts with local clubs and they work incredibly hard to get it out there because they understand the impact of them making a positive message, of getting two or three kids really interested in rugby which brings their family into coming to a game.
What. A. Finish.
Leicester hold firm and claim a MASSIVE result at Newcastle.
The Tigers live to fight another day! pic.twitter.com/2EP7aCyzoK
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) April 12, 2019
“They are the little incremental gains that have a huge impact in terms of what we do, but if we drop down you will have to go all the way south to Manchester (to see the Premiership) and that is a huge gap.”
Flood’s awareness of the wider implications of relegation isn’t reflected in his thoughts on what the future might personally hold for him if Newcastle go down. Keeping upbeat about their three remaining games – a schedule that begins with Friday night’s visit to Kingston Park by Northampton – is the immediate priority.
“I don’t have any intention of changing and doing anything different. At this moment in time, to be honest I haven’t really thought about it because I’m not really letting it cross my mind. We will cross that bridge when it comes to it but because I’m hoping we will stay up, I’m going to try and keep myself in the realm of positivity and stay with the club as long as I can.
“Guys who are involved internationally, they may have to make a tough decision but personally I have not got that far ahead yet. I just want to crack on, keep my head down and see where we get to. There’s still a chance (to avoid relegation) and when there is hope you endeavour to get it right.”
This was something Falcons fell agonisingly short of achieving in their last outing, a devastating home loss to relegation rivals Leicester which enabled Tigers to pull eight points clear of Newcastle at the bottom, with Worcester sandwiched in between seven points ahead of 12th spot.
In his 15th season in the professional ranks, you’d imagine Flood is somewhat accustomed to handling the emotions of losing matches. However, the April 12 loss to his former club Leicester cut to the bone, a feeling exacerbated by his pocket being picked for a crucial try in a contest that grippingly went down to the wire.
Gameweek 1??9?? in the books, 3?? rounds remaining. Here's how the table looks.
What are your predictions for:
?? Top Four?
?? Relegation? pic.twitter.com/NpEhDndgVu— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) April 14, 2019
“That’s probably one of the worst,” he grimaced. “Just in terms of what it meant and how it went. It was a tough one. Personally and collectively we just couldn’t get it right and then when we did and got ourselves back in the game, we took ourselves out again, myself throwing an interception and other guys just making small errors.
“It was as frustrating as it can be and then it was made worse by Worcester winning (against Sale). No bones about it, we’re in a difficult situation at the moment and the only way to solve it is ourselves putting pressure on those teams above us. That’s basically what we have to do.”
If Newcastle are to fall through the cracks, it will be with regret. Having finished fourth last season, they weren’t expecting to find themselves in this sort of a pickle. However, it’s been their rotten luck to fall off the pace in an exceptionally competitive season.
There is every chance that even if they pick up a few wins during a run-in where they hope to add to their current 30 points, they could still go down in a fashion as frustrating as 2005 when Harlequins were chucked out despite a seemingly healthy tally of 38 points.
“It’s going to be very tight to that,” said Flood. “We’re talking about Wasps being in fifth and they are only three wins above us. They have more bonus points, so they have a bigger gap, but in essence it’s three victories.
“Then you look at the fixtures. Leicester we could have won. Wasps at home we should have won. Bristol away we were very close. Even Exeter at home we played really well. You look at those results and realise how tight the Premiership is.
“Last year we won those tight games and ended up fourth, and this year we just haven’t been able to get over the line in those games. It just feels you can’t snatch those victories you were snatching last year and that plays on the mental side of things,” continued the former England out-half who has an interesting take on the whole ring-fence the Premiership debate.
Round 20 Preview: @FalconsRugby v @SaintsRugby #GallagherPrem https://t.co/wiR9PuyUvI pic.twitter.com/MBPzCdOf5D
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) April 23, 2019
“Ring-fencing, I have been a fan in the sense that it’s important for people who want to have an investment in a large organisation, an organisation that we all know loses money as there are very few profitable organisations in this league.
“But if you are going to ring-fence, you need to protect those teams below you. You need to review maybe every two to three years, look at it and say, ‘Hold on a minute, do we need to bring someone else up? Does someone else want to come up? Does a team at the bottom of the league for three years in a row need to be taken out of it?’
“You need to be very careful with ring-fencing being a closed book as you have to protect those teams below who want to come up and change it. But having spoken to quite a few directors of rugby and bits and pieces through my career, some teams are very happy in the Championship, some teams are very happy in National One.
“I know for instance the teams where I started, Morpeth and Alnwick, they’re very happy in the league they are normally in because if they get promoted or relegated, they either win every game if they get relegated or they lose every game if they get promoted. They quite like being in North-East Two or whatever it is because they will win some of their games, lost some of their games and it’s very competitive.”
A thriving grassroots is something that is important to Flood, who was one of Newcastle’s ambassadors at their Gallagher Premiership Train with your Heroes session with the Darlington Mowden Park under-18 girls. It brought the seasoned out-half right back to his own fledgling rugby days, training on the back pitch at Kingston Park as a nipper and memories of Jonny Wilkinson walking in the door of his school one afternoon.
Amazing to be at Kingston Park, the home of @FalconsRugby, after @MowdenPark Ladies U18s won our #TrainWithYourHeroes competition. Session led by #GallagherPrem stars @tobyflood, @mark_wils and captain, Will Welch pic.twitter.com/kvXsmHBDu5
— Gallagher UK (@GallagherUK) April 18, 2019
“I remember coming here and training on the back pitch with Dave Walder and Michael Stephenson when I was a kid. That was really good fun to do training sessions with those guys. Then Jonny Wilkinson, I remember he came to our school.
“The Falcons would send a player to a school and we somehow got Jonny. He came down and did two or three sessions. The impact of that was massive. To see him when he was at the peak of his powers at 21, 22, lighting up the world, that was hugely important.
“Likewise, with Dave and Michael, who were top players as well. You realise the impact of that and as adults now at 33, 34, we sometimes still talk about that. It’s important to still have memories of that time.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments