Today saw us head to the Newcastle Red Bulls Festival at Kingston Park, with 66 teams taking part from across Cumbria, County Durham, Northumberland, Yorkshire and Scotland. It was a fantastic occasion and a brilliant opportunity for the boys to test themselves against strong opposition from across the region.

We were drawn in a tough group alongside Wallsend, Ryton and Ponteland/Novos.

Our first game against Wallsend was probably our most disappointing performance of the day. We simply didn’t get going and our tackling, in particular, was well below the standard we expect. Credit to Wallsend, who took advantage, but we knew straight away that we had much more to offer.

The second game against Ponteland/Novos was a much better contest. We competed, showed far more effort and commitment, and gave a good account of ourselves. It was much more like the team we know we can be, with the players working hard for each other and sticking in throughout.

Against Ryton, although we ended up on the losing side, the boys stayed at the task and played some good rugby. There was a lot more intent in what we did, and the effort and attitude were there for all to see.

Our final game against Wallsend was a completely different contest to the first meeting. It was much more even, very competitive, and played with real edge and intensity. It was testy and aggressive in all the right rugby ways, with both sides fully committed, and the boys responded well to that challenge.

Overall, it was a great day out and a valuable experience for the squad. There was plenty of rugby to enjoy, even if the weather definitely wasn’t one of the highlights.

A big thank you to all the parents for their support across the day, and to Newcastle Red Bulls for all their help, hospitality and encouragement in getting the festival organised and running so well.