Newcastle University Rugby League

By O. L. Boy

The clubs origins can be traced back to the academic year of when a group of pioneering students initiated the creation of the North East’s most successful University Rugby League club. Previously, students had to make the trip to Northumbria Polytechnic to play the greatest game during their academic studies. The initial men to found the club were led by Civil Engineering student Jim Sephton, who originally hailed from the Rugby League heartland of Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Playing in a borrowed kit, with the aid of rugby league enthusiast Mick Hogan, the club made a solid start to life. There was no success on the pitch but crucially the pioneers achieved the toughest feat in ensuring the continued existence of a club at a university whose traditional demographic did not, and still does not, comprise many traditional Rugby League players.

The foundations for the clubs most successful season to date arrived in the 99-00 season, when there was an unusually high intake of born and bred rugby league players, including current Super League player Andy Raleigh. Under the guidance of coach Rob Jones, In his first spell at the club, Newcastle won its first two pieces of silverware.

After a surprise end of season defeat at home to Leeds University there was a winner take all clash away at Teesside. The home side prepared for the big game with G’n’R blasting out and assembled a sizable spectator support. However, Newcastle blew their counterparts away 32-6 to secure the North East league we had dominated all season.

The greatest achievement that season came in the final match of the season against Gateshead Panthers in the North East County Cup Final. In sweltering conditions the Uni were 14 points down at half-time 16-2. Fleet footed winger Ed Dalton and dynamic scrum-half Martin Heywood had other ideas though, as Ed scorched in for two tries and ‘Uni Ball’ finally worked! This success meant the University were entered into the following seasons Rugby League Challenge Cup.

The first half of the 00-01 season saw Newcastle gain national exposure with their 1st & 2nd round Challenge Cup exploits. After being drawn against the then Yorkshire Cup champions, Hunslet Warriors, it is fair to say that most of the team did not rate our chances of success, let alone anyone else. On a blustery day and the scores locked at 4-4 Newcastle upped the ante and surged into a decisive lead. A winning realisation dawned at half-time, and despite a Warriors’ fight-back Newcastle emerged victorious 36-14 with Andy Raleigh taking yet another MoM award. We faced Leigh Miner Rangers in the next round but the all round class of one of the top amateur teams in the country proved too great, as stand-off Mick Warburton ran the defence ragged.

The second-half of the season was blighted by a horrendous injury list as the University lost their league title to Teesside University.

The clubs most successful season came in the 01-02 season as the former first year crop were now in their final season. Coached by current Harlequins RL Coach Rob Powell and boosted by another fine intake, including Gateshead Thunder prop Rob Line and England SRL International Eamonn Ruane, the ingredients were there for a successful season. After a disappointing first day loss to Northumbria (the only one to them of the season) the team grew in confidence. All of this was required as Newcastle drew another of the games top amateur teams, West Bowling in the Challenge Cup. On a bitterly cold day the Uni put in an excellent performance but in the end lost 18-16. The game, however, proved to be the catalyst for the season.

After the Christmas break Newcastle started as they left off, beating eventual National League winners Leeds Met in the BUSA Cup. Then came THE game of the season, in the form of a home fixture against Edge Hill. The game of Lars’ speech has gone down in NURL folklore, when seemingly down and out four points behind with 30 seconds left the pack miraculously won a scrum against the head. The ball was spun wide for Rob Spurr to touchdown and tie the game. Extra time ensued, with the NURL surviving two drop-goal attempts before Shires put Raleigh through a gap and the rangy loose-forward ran 60 metres to round the full-back and score.

A wet and muddy day beckoned for the semi-final against TASC. Mike Sheeran had a wow of a game, even though the team photograph would suggest he did not do much with the brighter than white appearance of his shirt! In the final of the BUSA Cup the 18-16 score-line came back to haunt NURL as the boys could not hold on against a physically superb Cardiff team who trained 6 times a week.

There was to be end of season success in four forms. In the North East League Final NURL demolished a valiant but ultimately outclassed Leeds outfit at Cochrane Park; finally achieving promotion to the elite league of the student game. Then came the SRL end of season awards. With nominations in Team of the Year and Player of the Year, NURL did the double at the inaugural awards night as Raleigh became the first NURL recipient, a feat emulated two years later by GB SRL International Alan Robinson.

The final award of the season was probably the most significant the club has ever received when, for the first time, NURL was voted Newcastle University Sports Club of the Year. The award was a fitting testament to the season’s achievements, and the fulfilment of heady dreams back in the days of Jim Sephton and the Rugby League pioneers.

By Andrew Stanton

It was a time of change for NURL in 04/05 with the announcement of Rob Spurr as head coach, taking over the reigns for long time servant Rob Jones.
The year saw Newcastle make a promising start to the league with a fantastic 1st day away win at Liverpool Hope University, with a number of first year debutants which would later go on to form the nucleus of the squad for the next couple of years; players such as James Allen, Andy Stanton, Allan Howe, Ollie O’Mara and others. Graham Stephenson and newly appointed captain Mark ‘The Yorkshire Terrier’ Shaw were stand outs in an impressive away victory. The team was filled with experienced players who complimented the freshers suberbly, stalwarts such as Thomas Callighan, Rob Picken, Alan Robinson, Colin Lunn and David Brocklebank.

The second half of the season wasn’t as fruitful due to the squad being decimated with injuries which saw players out of position and inexperienced boys brought in to fill gaps. Despite this, NURL finished in the playoffs places but succumbed to a well drilled Edgehill team who seemed to a have an endless amount of subs!

The year also brought some representative honours for some of the Uni lads. Graham Stephenson, Colin Lunn, Alan Robinson and Rob Picken were selected for the North East Regional team. Robinson later went on to captain the GB students team. The season saw Graham Stephenson getting some recognition for his excellent performances with Gateshead Thunder signing the fullback for their National League 2 season.

NURL suffered with a big loss of experienced players during the 05/06 campaign and had to rely on a combination of 2nd years and inexperienced Freshers. The club were glad to welcome back talented half back Jon Farrell ‘Faz’ and Michael Greaves. NURL’s league form suffered as a result of the massive out goings which led to a winless season in the Northern Premier.

Wins did come in the shape of the Stan Calvert match (where Northumbria were decimated at Bullocksteads) and a short run in the end of season Plate. North East students representations were bestowed on Allan Howe and Colin Lunn respectively.

The year also witnessed the first ever NURL match decided by ‘Paper, scissors and stone’! After repeated cancellations for the Plate match against Bradford University, the two captains had to settle the match using the unconventional method. Thankfully and amazingly Greavsey outwitted the Bradford skipper to clinch the tie.

By Kevin Davey

The 2009/10 season represented a watershed moment for the club following the loss of many senior players and club administrators. The large playing group of 2006 that had facilitated the clubs growth to two playing sides was represented only by Jack Webb, Kevin Davey and the ‘Smelly General’ Rishi Sumra.

Amongst the key losses on field were ever present dummy half Edward Ainscoe and Prop Mikey Bryan who had had been a leader in a vintage final season after some ill judged positional decisions shaped his early NURL career. 29 year old Med student Richard Massey also departed after a highly influential debut year with the Cumbrian responsible for bringing some much needed mongrel to the Newcastle pack.

The team would also have to do without beloved NURL names Dave Furniss, Liam Gasior and the widely mocked administrator Murray James.

Fortunately – in every sense of the word – the club was able to welcome back a true NURL favourite in ‘Stunnin’ Ste Moorcroft. After an electric debut year in 07/08 Moorcroft’s hereditary hamstring troubles left the big loose forward so disenchanted that many thought he was lost to the game following retirement the previous year. But what surgical science couldn’t do the allure of a NURL swan song could as the Rylands big dog defied medical advice to march on to the pre-season training paddock to the delirious hoorays of the senior players.

Moorcroft re-joined a far more dynamic and cohesive team than he had in 07/08 with the squad retaining some fantastic attacking flair. Gun Full-back Sam Boyd completed a back-line with the increasing experience of Mcgee and Kingswood, whilst the back row was incredibly strong with new skipper Ward accompanying Knox and Phillips.

With the decimation of playing stocks for the successful seconds team and vacancies alongside Joe Robinson up front and Seagaves in the halves, a healthy recruitment intake was of seminal importance.

A fine crop of freshmen and the usual drongos were duly assembled and as a rare exception the club got just what it needed with 3 mammoth plodders reporting eagerly for front row duty. Ian McPherson, Will Winter and Daniel Capaross Midwood all made impressive debuts in the annual trouncing of Bradford and all had the honour of starting for the firsts in the season opener at Leeds. They were joined by promising centre Myles Hudson in a solid victory that showcased some fine attacking play and set the tone for the season.

The next 4 matches included a long overdue win on John Moores’ notorious shoe box pitch, a record victory over Bangor and a draw that represented the first league point taken from Leeds Met in many years. The seconds, meanwhile, were struggling with successive defeats as a side containing mostly freshmen adapted to the game.

Some of the club’s best work was taking place Off-field with Secretaries Michael ‘Trigger’ Brady and Jimmy Phillips co-ordinating affairs under the watchful eyes of Presidents Ward and Mcgee. In addition to the widely popular assimilation of the Owl moniker in 08/09 the team came to be known as The Death Machine as crushing victories seemed to become more and more systematic. The club also had (what seemed like) a fantastic sponsorship deal with German themed bar Stein Bier Keller and was living the high life on Wednesday nights with trips to long term favourite Sinners and the ritzy Tiger Tiger.

Such lavish socials took their toll as the 1st team suffered their first defeat of the season at home to UcLan. The frustrating 14 – 30 defeat came at a before a long and snow and Christmas inspired lay off and would prove crucial come the end of the season.

Following the severe weather inspired 7 week lay-off the Owls had a magnificent return to action with a momentous 6 points in 6 days. A home win over Leeds was followed by a gruelling journey to Bangor and the result of the season in the shape of a superb victory in a nail-biting fixture at Leeds Met. The Owls needed just one more win to take the league crown but a tough trip to UcLan proved too much as the Preston outfit took the spoils.

NURL had yet again taken 2nd place in the league and the reward was a spot in the BUCS Championship Quarterfinal, disastrously scheduled the day before the seminal Stan Calvert varsity clashes. With the 2nd’s Plate fixture at Bradford falling on the Friday of the all-important weekend NURL had the un-enviable and seemingly impossible task of taking 4 vital wins from 4 games in 53 hours.

Lady luck smiled on the club as a waterlogged pitch forced the Bradford game to be decided by a pitch side coin toss. True to the culture of the team an overcomplicated system was implemented to select the man who would make the call. It soon became abundantly clear to all involved that Captain Tom Burnham, or simply ‘The Oracle’ would be the only prudent choice. Burnham, insisting on wearing full match kit, cockily strode up to the official and his risky choice of heads was immediately vindicated as the 2nds reach the Quarterfinals in scenes reminiscent of when Michael Greaves famously won rock, paper, scissors in similar circumstances many years before.

The following day saw the 1sts provide stout opposition to Leeds Met but a side missing 5 first team regulars was unable to follow on from the feats of the 2s as they lost 46-18 to the eventual national champions. Vitally only 1 injury was sustained over that match and the coin toss so the squad was able to wake up on Sunday morning slightly weary but close to full strength for Stan Calvert.

Sadly the 2nds match was cancelled due to the reliable propensity of the Cochrane park groundsman to call off any rugby at the sight of a puddle. The 1sts match was moved to the Druids Park 4G pitch but neither logistical adjustment or tiredness influenced the outcome as the 1sts pounded their closest rivals 40-6. The near record victory was a fitting end to the 1’s competitive season and enabled the club to focus solely on the 2nds push to cup glory.

The seconds duly blasted a woeful Lancaster side before quasi-defeating Edinburgh in a tricky Semi-final in the Scottish capital. The final against a Birmingham 2nds side padded with Super 8 players proved to be no more trouble than the preceding rounds as a subtle nod from ‘Oracle’ Burnham in the sheds was all the assurance and motivation his men needed to gloriously claim the gilded SRL Plate trophy.

The Plate and the Stan Calvert trophy are thus proudly displayed in that years team photo, alongside the Directors Cup Vase that was retained in the annual Old Boys Fixture.