Newcastle Falcons facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Newcastle Falcons

Full name	Newcastle Falcons
Union	Northumberland RFU
Nickname(s)	The Falcons
Founded	1877; 148 years ago (1877)
Location	Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England
Ground(s)	Kingston Park (Capacity: 10,200)
Chairman	Semore Kurdi
CEO	Mick Hogan (MD)
Director of Rugby	Matt Thompson
Coach(es)	Steve Diamond
Captain(s)	Callum Chick
Most caps	Tom May (193)
Top scorer	Jonny Wilkinson (1,489)
Most tries	Tom May (47)
League(s)	Premiership Rugby
2024–25	10th
1st kit 2nd kit 3rd kit
Largest win
Newcastle Falcons 156–5 Rugby Lions (1996)
Largest defeat
Leicester Tigers 83–10 Newcastle Falcons (2004)
Official website

The Newcastle Falcons are a professional rugby union team from Newcastle upon Tyne, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, which is the highest level of rugby union in England.

The club started way back in 1877 as the Gosforth Football Club. Over the years, its name changed a few times. In 1990, it became Newcastle Gosforth and moved to its current home, Kingston Park. When rugby became professional in 1996, the club briefly called itself Newcastle Rugby Club before settling on Newcastle Falcons.

The Falcons have won five major titles. They won the Premiership in 1998. They also won four domestic cups: the John Player Cup in 1976 and 1977, the Tetley's Bitter Cup in 2001, and the Powergen Cup in 2004. Many famous players have been part of the team, including Jonny Wilkinson, who played for them from 1997 to 2009.

Team History and Milestones

How the Team's Name Changed Over Time

The club has had several names since it began:

• Gosforth Football Club (1877–1882)
• Northumberland Football Club (1882–1887); This was after they joined with Northumberland FC.
• Gosforth Football Club (1887–1990); They went back to their original name.
• Newcastle Gosforth (1990–1995)
• Newcastle Rugby Club (1996); At this point, the team became professional.
• Newcastle Falcons (1997–present)

Early Days of Gosforth Football Club (1877–1990)

The original Gosforth Football Club was founded in 1877. It was started by former students of Durham School. The team wore green and white hoops, which were the school's colours. The name Gosforth came from a suburb in Newcastle upon Tyne.

In 1955, the club moved to a new home at North Road. They stayed there until 1990. During this time, especially in the late 1970s, Gosforth was very successful. They won the John Player Cup two seasons in a row, in 1975–76 and 1976–77. Many players from Gosforth went on to play for their counties, for the North of England, and even for the national England team and the British Lions.

In 1990, the club changed its name to Newcastle Gosforth and moved to Kingston Park. The amateur part of the club continued as Gosforth Rugby Football Club.

Becoming a Professional Team (1996 Onwards)

For the 1996–97 season, the club became the Newcastle Falcons and changed its colours to black and white. This happened after local businessman Sir John Hall took over. He wanted to create a big sports club in Newcastle, like FC Barcelona. This club included the football team (the Magpies), the Newcastle Eagles basketball team, an ice hockey team, and the Newcastle Falcons rugby team.

Newcastle was one of the first fully professional rugby clubs in the world. In 1995, Sir John Hall brought in Rob Andrew as the Director of Rugby. The club quickly moved up from the Second Division to the Premiership.

The very next season, in 1997–98, Newcastle Falcons won the English Premiership title on their first try! The winning team included stars like Rob Andrew, Inga Tuigamala, Doddie Weir, Gary Armstrong, Tony Underwood, Alan Tait, John Bentley, and a young Jonny Wilkinson.

In 1999, Rob Andrew stopped playing but stayed on as Director of Rugby. Jonny Wilkinson, who was only 20, took over as the main fly-half. Later that year, Sir John Hall sold the Falcons to Dave Thompson. Under Thompson, the Falcons won two more cups: the Powergen Cup in 2001 and 2004.

In 2004, famous Australian player Matt Burke joined the Falcons. He played alongside Jonny Wilkinson. The team also had other great kickers like Dave Walder and Toby Flood. In the 2004–05 season, the Falcons had their best performance in the Heineken Cup, reaching the quarter-finals.

In 2006, Rob Andrew left to work with the England national team. John Fletcher became the new Director of Rugby.

Challenges and Relegation (2007–2012)

The 2007–08 season started with high hopes, especially when New Zealand player Carl Hayman joined. However, the team began to struggle. John Fletcher left in 2008, and Steve Bates took over. Many talented young players, like Toby Flood and Mathew Tait, left the club.

In 2008, Chairman Dave Thompson decided not to sell the club, even after getting offers. The Falcons reached another European Challenge Cup quarter-final but finished 10th in the Premiership. This season also marked the departure of legendary fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, who left for France. Other key players also moved to different clubs.

The team continued to face difficulties in the 2009–10 season. Steve Bates' contract ended, and Alan Tait became the new coach. More important players, like Jamie Noon and Carl Hayman, left the club.

In 2010, local businessman Semore Kurdi bought a large share of the club, which helped with financial problems. The Falcons reached the Anglo-Welsh Cup final in 2011 but lost. They finished 11th in the Premiership, barely avoiding relegation.

The 2011–12 season was tough, and the Newcastle Falcons were relegated from the Premiership. This meant they would play in the Championship, the league below the Premiership.

Bouncing Back to the Premiership (2012–2013)

After being relegated, Dean Richards became the new Director of Rugby. He appointed Will Welch as captain. The team signed experienced players like Scott MacLeod and Carlo Del Fava.

The Falcons had a fantastic season in the Championship, winning all their games. They even beat the Tongan national team in a special match at Kingston Park. They won the Championship play-off final against the Bedford Blues and earned their spot back in the Premiership for the 2013–14 season!

Life Back in the Premiership (2013–2019)

Before returning to the Premiership, star player Jimmy Gopperth left. However, some former Falcons, like Rory Clegg and Kieran Brookes, returned. The team also signed several international players, showing their determination to compete. Despite a challenging season with some injuries, the Falcons stayed in the Premiership.

In 2014, the Falcons made a big signing by bringing in Alesana Tuilagi, a top try scorer. His brother, Andy Tuilagi, also joined. The team finished 11th in the Premiership.

More changes happened in 2015, with some players leaving and new international stars joining, including Nili Latu and Sonatane Takulua from Tonga.

In the 2016–17 season, former England player Dave Wilson returned. Winger Vereniki Goneva was a top performer in the Premiership.

The 2017–18 season saw Toby Flood return to the Falcons. The team had a great season, finishing fourth in the Premiership, their highest position in 20 years! They reached the semi-finals but lost to the Exeter Chiefs.

The Big One and Another Relegation (2018–2019)

To build on their success, Newcastle added new players like Logovi'i Mulipola and John Hardie. They also returned to the Heineken Champions Cup after 13 years. In a memorable match, they beat Toulon away from home, which was a huge achievement.

Mark Wilson became a regular player for the England national team during this time.

The Falcons also hosted another "The Big One" match at Newcastle United's St. James' Park stadium. This charity event, in aid of Doddie Weir's foundation, attracted 27,284 fans, and Newcastle beat Sale Sharks 22–17.

However, on May 4, 2019, the Falcons were relegated back to the Championship after losing to Gloucester. Many key players, including Simon Hammersley, Chris Harris, Zach Kibirige, and Vereniki Goneva, left the club.

Championship Title and Return to Premiership (2019–2020)

The Falcons started the 2019–20 season in the Championship with a strong determination to return to the top league. They won every single match they played, both at home and away. Their biggest win was 41–0 against the Bedford Blues.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was stopped early in March 2020. Because of their amazing undefeated record, the Newcastle Falcons were declared champions and promoted back to the Premiership! The club made some salary reductions to help the team survive during this difficult time.

Recent Seasons (2020–Present)

Rugby union slowly returned to normal after the pandemic. Newcastle, back in the Premiership, strengthened its team. They signed Luther Burrell and extended contracts for home-grown talents like Gary Graham and Jamie Blamire.

In 2022, the club faced an investigation by the Rugby Football Union regarding allegations of racism. The club stated it was conducting an internal investigation. Newcastle finished 12th in the 2021–22 Premiership season.

In the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons, Newcastle Falcons finished at the bottom of the Premiership table.

However, the 2024–25 season brought a turning point. On October 18, 2024, Newcastle Falcons ended a long 25-match losing streak in the Premiership with a victory over the Exeter Chiefs. This was their first league win since March 2023. By November 29, 2024, they had climbed off the bottom of the table by beating Saracens at home, their first win against them since 2009. They had won five of their last six games across all competitions.

On March 18, 2025, the club announced a temporary halt to signing new players until more funding was secured. On April 11, 2025, Director of Rugby Steve Diamond received a six-game ban for verbally abusing match officials. Despite some recent wins, Newcastle Falcons finished bottom of the table for the third season in a row.

Club Information

Home Stadium: Kingston Park

Kingston Park

The Newcastle Falcons play their home games at Kingston Park. The stadium can hold 10,250 fans. It is one of the smaller stadiums in the Premiership Rugby league. The club's average attendance is around 10,000 fans, which is a big increase from previous years.

Kingston Park has three modern stands: the North standing Terrace, the South Stand Terrace (where the loudest fans gather), and the West Stand, which has seats. There's also the original Gosforth East stand, which still has green and white seats, representing the club's old colours. The grass pitch at Kingston Park was recently replaced with a 3G synthetic pitch. This helps prevent games from being cancelled due to bad weather in the North East. In June 2015, the Falcons bought Kingston Park back, showing their commitment to the club's future.

On September 16, 2017, the Falcons played a home game in the United States against Saracens in Philadelphia. This was a special event to promote rugby.

On March 24, 2018, Newcastle Falcons hosted "The Big One" at St James' Park, the home ground of Newcastle United F.C.. This was a Premiership match against the Northampton Saints. The goal was to promote rugby union in North East England and attract a huge crowd. A record 30,174 people attended the game, and the Falcons won 25–22. This was the first Premiership Rugby match played at St James' Park, and it was so successful that the Falcons did it again in the 2018–19 season.

Team Kits and Colours

Gosforth

In their early years, when they were known as Gosforth, the club wore green and white hoops. These colours are still used by the amateur Gosforth Rugby Club today.

Season Performance Overview

This table shows how the Newcastle Falcons have performed in their league and cup competitions over the years.

Gold background means the team were champions.
Silver background means the team were runners-up.
Pink background means the team were relegated.

Club Achievements

National Titles

• Premiership Rugby
  • Champions: (1) 1997–98
• Championship (Second Division)
  • Champions: (3) 1992–93, 2012–13, 2019–20
  • Runners–Up: (1) 1996–97
• RFU Knockout Cup
  • Champions: (4) 1975–76, 1976–77, 2000–01, 2003–04
  • Runners–Up: (2) 1998–99, 2010–11
• British and Irish Cup
  • Runners–Up: (1) 2012–13

Local Competitions

• Northumberland Senior Cup
  • Champions: (30) Many wins between 1927–28 and 1993–94.

Sevens Tournaments

The Falcons have also won several Sevens tournaments:

• Melrose Sevens
  • Champions: (1) 2006
• Hawick Sevens
  • Champions: (3) 2005, 2006, 2007
• Langholm Sevens
  • Champions: (4) 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
• Selkirk Sevens
  • Champions: (1) 2004
• Peebles Sevens
  • Champions: (1) 2004
• Middlesex Sevens
  • Champions: (1) 2007

Current Team Squad

Here are the players in the Newcastle Falcons squad for the 2025–26 season:

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Bryan Byrne Hooker Ireland Ollie Fletcher Hooker England Eduardo Bello Prop Argentina Adam Brocklebank Prop England Luan de Bruin Prop South Africa Murray McCallum Prop Scotland Richard Palframan Prop South Africa Tim Cardall Lock England Sebastian de Chaves Lock South Africa John Hawkins Lock England John Kelly Lock England Kiran McDonald Lock Scotland Adam Scott Lock England Tom Gordon Back row Scotland Ollie Leatherbarrow Back row Scotland Freddie Lockwood Back row England Cameron Neild Back row England Marcus Tiffen Back row England Philip van der Walt Back row South Africa

Player Position Union James Elliott Scrum-half England Hugh O'Sullivan Scrum-half Ireland Sam Stuart Scrum-half England Brett Connon Fly-half Ireland Kieran Wilkinson Fly-half England Sammy Arnold Centre Ireland Max Clark Centre England Connor Doherty Centre England Cameron Hutchison Centre Scotland Alex Hearle Wing England Elliott Obatoyinbo Wing England Ethan Grayson Fullback England

Academy Squad: Future Stars

The Newcastle Falcons academy squad includes young players who are developing their skills:

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Jacob Oliver Hooker England Callum Hancock Prop England Connor Hancock Prop England Isaac Keller Prop England Mike Rewcastle Prop England Finn Baxter Lock England Luke Coulston Lock England Oscar Usher Lock England Reuben Parsons Back row England Charlie Turnbull Back row England Harrison Wood Back row Scotland

Player Position Union Joe Davis Scrum-half England Ben Douglas Scrum-half England Junior Newton Fly-half England Rhys Beeckmans Centre England Cameron Ellis Centre England Nathan Greenwood Wing England Oli Spencer Fullback England

Coaching Team

The current coaching staff helps guide the Newcastle Falcons:

• Director of Rugby: Steve Diamond
• Performance Manager: Mark Laycock
• Head of Rugby Operations: John Stokoe
• Senior Coach: Alan Dickens
• Senior Coach: Micky Ward
• Attack & Backs Coach: Tom Williams
• Lineout Coach: Scott MacLeod
• Head of Analysis : Steve Bremner
• Head of Athletic Performance: Kevin McShane
• Head of Medical Services: Rhys Griffiths

Famous Former Players

British & Irish Lions Players

These Newcastle players were chosen for the prestigious Lions tours while playing for the club:

• 2001 & 2005: Jonny Wilkinson
• 1997: Tim Stimpson, John Bentley, Tony Underwood, Alan Tait, Doddie Weir
• 1989: Gary Armstrong
• 1974: Roger Uttley
• 1966: Ray McLoughlin

Rugby World Cup Players

The following players represented their countries at the Rugby World Cup while playing for Newcastle:

Tournament	Players selected	England players	Other national team players
1999	8	Jonny Wilkinson	George Graham, Stuart Grimes, Doddie Weir, Peter Walton, Gary Armstrong , Va'aiga Tuigamala , Ross Nesdale
2003	2	Jonny Wilkinson	Stuart Grimes
2007	4	Jonny Wilkinson, Toby Flood, Jamie Noon, Mathew Tait
2011	3		Suka Hufanga , Euan Murray , Taiasina Tuifu'a
2015	9		Alesana Tuilagi, Kane Thompson , Jon Welsh , Eric Fry , Juan Pablo Socino , Nili Latu, Sonatane Takulua , Joshua Furno, Giovanbattista Venditti
2019	6	Mark Wilson	Logovi'i Mulipola , Sonatane Takulua, Cooper Vuna , Greg Peterson , Josh Matavesi
2023	4		Eduardo Bello, Pedro Rubiolo, Matías Moroni, Mateo Carreras

Team Records

Club Records

• Biggest Win: 156–5 against Rugby Lions (in 1996)
• Biggest Loss: 10–83 against Leicester Tigers (in 2004)
• Best League Position: 1st in the Premiership (1997–98)
• Worst League Position: 12th in Division Two (1989–90)

Player Records

• Most Premiership Appearances: Tom May – 193 games
• Top Premiership Try Scorer: Tom May – 47 tries
• Top Premiership Points Scorer: Jonny Wilkinson – 1,489 points

See also

In Spanish: Newcastle Falcons para niños