Newcastle Thunder

We currently have 1 player in our 19’s that’s from the heartlands and is at university the links with the university is one of plus sides of us having a reserves anyone that would question our application should have a hard look into what we do for the game in the North East

They give every club 100 tickets to sell hardly a lot

No we don’t think we can do a better job than the RFL, we have a fantastic relationship with the RFL. But what we would say is everyone looks to the governing body for all the answers to grow the game, when in fact it’s ever pro clubs equal responsibility to grow the game. We are very proud of what we have achieved in the north east in the last 5 years and we are excited for the next 5 years

It’s testament to not only our academy but to all of the local community clubs and volunteers in our area we firmly believe the reason for our success is because the model we have is different to other areas, we run an Australian style system where us as the pro club administrate and run the community game. everything we do feeds into Newcastle Thunder Our goal has been to increase our player pool so that we have a thriving community game with a big player pool that will sustain the club for years to come. for example our community game participation has grown nearly 40% in the last 4 years with over 1,300 players. And where we used to select 20 u15/16 academy players from a pool of only 60/70 kids we are now selecting from a bigger pool of 100/110 kids 3 new community clubs entered our structure this year and we hope to add another club next year that will take us to 15 local community clubs and our aim is to have over 1,500 local players by the time the 2021 World Cup comes. Our view is “look after the community game and it looks after the rest”

We would agree with this

Hate to disappoint you but we are expecting close to if not over 1,000 again

What higher viewing figures for Toronto games have you seen?

West Wales brought a U16 academy side up for a game before the main game, not many other League 1 or Championship clubs could do that! its about more than just the first team winning games, the work they do developing the game in wales is incredible, we wish them all the success

https://www.thunderrugby.co.uk/general/thunder-launch-ground-breaking-sparc-festival/ Saturday 16th March sees the first of Newcastle Thunder Academy’s new SPARC Festivals being held at Kingston Park. Attending clubs are to meet at 10:00 for games to begin at 10:30. The SPARC Festival will consist of modified games in which players will be able to earn points for their teams by showcasing their abilities and characteristics. The SPARC elements are; S – Skills P – Physical A – Awareness R – Resilience C – Character Each of the SPARC elements will be attached to the games – with the SPARC Game Coach awarding points throughout the games based on what they see on the field. The scoring system will work as follows:- S – Skills – 1 point for any examples of players demonstrating good core skills (catch, pass, kick, tackle, play the ball, grip) as well as double points for any try scored from inside a team’s own 40m area. P – Physical – 1pt awarded for any examples of players demonstrating good physical attributes (speed, strength, power, agility, stamina) A – Awareness – 1pt awarded for any examples of players demonstrating good awareness (identifying space, numbers/overlaps, mismatches) and attempting to exploit this. R – Resilience – 3pts awarded to a team who is able to make their opponent kick from their own half in the set immediately after conceding a try. C – Character – 1pt awarded for any examples of players demonstrating good character (leadership, honesty, respect, support, feedback). Alongside this – each team will have 3 SPARC powers which can be used throughout their games. It will be the players who will be responsible for implementing these powers. These are:- 1) Rewind – go back one play for a second chance 2) Double points – all points are worth double for one set of 6 tackles 3) Overload – choose 2 players from the opposition to leave the field for one set of 6 tackles. There will be no scrums with play restarting with a play the ball following an error or a tap restart should the ball leave the field of play. Goal kicks and restarts will have a time limit of 30 seconds in an attempt to maximise the ball in play time of games. Speaking about the SPARC Festival, Academy Manager Michael Heap is excited to get this new format up and running. “We are proud of the North East’s innovative approach to Junior Development and the strong links we have with North East Rugby League – which allows us to build these player development opportunities into the NERL junior calendar. After reviewing our Player Development Programme from 2018 we believe that we can engage more players by incorporating their community clubs in this so that they can come along and play with their mates. The aim of the SPARC Festival is to provide all junior players with additional playing opportunities whilst giving the players control of how they play, encouraging creativity and also rewarding the key components of performance which can sometimes go unnoticed in normal games. The SPARC Festival gives every child regardless of perceived ability, experience or development stage the chance to play more rugby league and enjoy themselves.” “The SPARC Festival aims to build on the positive feedback we receive about NERL Junior Finals days and provide all players with a truly enjoyable and memorable experience in a fun and safe setting. We will have music playing, players featuring on the big screen as well as opportunities off the field for players to enjoy themselves.” The SPARC Festival is open to all junior rugby league players, clubs and schools as well as junior teams from other sports. There are still chances to be involved in this weeks festival and clubs/players are encouraged to bring whatever participants they have as teams can be modified on the day to make sure everyone gets ample playing time. To register simply contact Michael.heap@newcastle-thunder.co.uk.

Who said they are not getting replaced? watch this space ........

There is no lack of certainty about us

Sorry our academy boys have been playing in the Super League U19’s today

What you mean like this one???

Quality broadcasting by the RFL!! Outstanding coverage of the whole sport this season things just feel different!!! #PositiveRugbyLeague

Hi should be ample parking the crowd is looking good with over 1,300 tickets sold so far