Newcastle Thunder

The Newcastle Thunder are a professional rugby league club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. They play in the Betfred Championship competition, the second tier of rugby league in the United Kingdom. They play their home matches at Kingston Park, also home to rugby union side Newcastle Falcons. The club was known as Gateshead Thunder until 2015.

Newcastle Thunder
Club information
Full nameNewcastle Thunder Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)Thunder
Short nameNewcastle
Colours
Founded1999 (1999)
(as "Gateshead Thunder")
Websitethunderrugby.co.uk
Current details
Ground(s)
ChairmanSemore Kurdi
CaptainRhys Clarke
CompetitionRFL Championship
2021 season3rd (League 1)
Uniforms
Home colours
Away colours
Records
Challenge CupsQuarter finalists (2009)
League 11 (2008)
Most capped217 - Robin Peers
Highest points scorer449 - Benn Hardcastle

History

The club was formerly known as Gateshead Thunder, and played their home games at Gateshead International Stadium in Gateshead. The club was formed by supporters of the original Gateshead Thunder after that organisation made the decision to relocate to Hull at the end of the 1999 season.[1] The new club entered the Northern Ford Premiership for the 2001 season, however they struggled to compete, and eventually finished 17th out of the 19 clubs.[2]

Kingston Park, seen during a Newcastle Falcons game

Gateshead continued to struggle in the following season, finishing bottom of the league in 2002.[3] When the Northern Ford Premiership was split into two divisions for the 2003 season the club joined National League Two, and again finished in the bottom two, being kept off the bottom only by new entrants London Skolars.[4] The club's fortunes began to improve in 2005, a seventh-place finish being enough to gain a first ever place in the play-offs, before losing to Workington Town in their first ever play-off game.[5] The club again finished seventh in 2006, but went on to lose 46–18 to Featherstone Rovers in the play-offs.[6]

In 2008 the club won its first silverware, finishing the season as League 1 champions.[7] As champions, the club were promoted to the Championship, and avoided on-field relegation by finishing seventh under coach Steve McCormack [8] Thunder's joy at securing a second season in the second tier was however short-lived, as the club was wound up following a dispute between the directors. A new company was formed to continue the club, however the club had to restart as a Championship 1 side, effectively being relegated for the 2010 season.[9]

Gateshead Thunder were taken over by the owners of rugby union side Newcastle Falcons in 2015.[10] The club was rebranded as Newcastle Thunder and applied for permission to use Kingston Park in Newcastle as their home ground.[11]

Further silverware was earned in 2016, when Newcastle defeated North Wales Crusaders to win the League 1 Shield [12]

On 10 December 2020 Thunder were promoted to the Championship by a committee to replace Leigh Centurions who were, in turn, promoted to Super League to replace Toronto Wolfpack, who went out of business. The Thunder will play in the 2021 Championship season.[13]

Kit manufacturers and sponsors
2009 shirt
Gateshead Thunder emblem
YearsKit ManufacturerMain Shirt Sponsor
1999AvecNorthern Electric & Gas
2000-2001exitonone
2004-2005HalbroHalbro
2006Nikenone
2010XBladesGMC Transport Limited
2011-2012Puma
2013StagJack Coupe and Sons
2014Gateshead College
2015ImpactGizmowizard
2016ErreaGreene King IPA
2017ISCPTM Group
2018-2019Tyne Metropolliton College
2020-Macron

Players

Current squad
Newcastle Thunder 2021 Squad
First team squad Coaching staff

Head coach


Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice captain(s)

Updated: {{{date}}}
Source(s): 2020 Squad

Transfers 2019

In

PlayerClubContract lengthDate
Ben DentYork City Knights1 yearDecember 2017[14]
Aaron OllettDewsbury Rams1 yearNovember 2017[15]
Conor FitzsimmonsCastleford Tigers1 yearNovember 2017[16]
Keal CarlileFeatherstone RoversN/ASeptember 2018
Alex RoweBatley BulldogsN/ASeptember 2018
Jared BlankeLézignan Sangliers2 YearsAugust 2018
Liam FinnWakefield Trinity WildcatsN/AAugust 2018
Misi TaulapapaFeatherstone Rovers1 yearNovember 2018
Kieran GillCastleford Tigers1-year loanNovember 2018
Jy-mel ColemanLondon Skolars1 yearDecember 2018
Carne Doyle-MangaNorths Devils2 yearFebruary 2019
Joel EdwardsN/Auntil end of seasonMay 2019

Out

PlayerClubContract lengthDate
Ben PointerSheffield Eagles1 yearOctober 2018
Tee RitsonBarrow RaidersN/AOctober 2018
Liam ScottLondon SkolarsN/ANovember 2018


Notable former players

Records
Correct to September 2017 [17]

Player records
  • Most tries in a match: 5 by Andy Walker vs London Skolars 22 June 2003
  • Most points in a season: 246 by Chris Birch, 2005
  • Most career tries: 64 by Kevin Neighbour, 2001-2013
  • Most career goals: 137 by Paul Thorman, 2001–2004
  • Most career points: 365 by Paul Thorman, 2001–2004

Team records
  • Biggest win:
98-6 v. West Wales (at Kingston Park Stadium, 23 September 2018)
  • Biggest defeat:
132-0 v. Blackpool (at Memorial Stadium, 16 May 2010)

Attendance records
  • Highest all-time attendance:
6,631 v. Bradford (at Gateshead International Stadium, 16 May 1999)

Seasons
See also: Gateshead Thunder (1999) § Season summary
Season
(As Gateshead Thunder)		 League Challenge Cup Play-offs Other competitions
DivisionPWDLFAPtsPos
2001 Northern Ford Premiership 2820263469904 17th R4 Did not qualify
2002 Northern Ford Premiership 27012633811081 18th R3 Did not qualify
2003 National League Two 1831143656637 9th R3 Did not qualify
2004 National League Two 1810172987152 10th R3 Did not qualify
2005 National League Two 1881951650817 6th R3 Lost in Elimination Playoffs
2006 National League Two 221101154754022 7th R3 Lost in Elimination Playoffs
2007 National League Two 22601638169221 11th R4 Did not qualify
2008 National League Two 22190376741559 1st R3 Promoted as Champions
2009 Championship 20929461065732 7th QF Enforced Relegation due to Salary Cap Breach
2010 Championship 1 2010192361232-2 11th R3 Did not qualify
2011 Championship 1 20011926810942 10th R4 Did not qualify
2012 Championship 1 1810172768245 10th R4 Did not qualify
2013 Championship 1 16411135654220 7th R3 Did not qualify
2014 Championship 1 20119061557636 4th R3 Lost in Semi Final
Season
(As Newcastle Thunder)		 League Challenge Cup Play-offs Other competitions
DivisionPWDLFAPtsPos
2015 Championship 1 221111055555222 8th R4 Did not qualify
2016 League 1 1471640436815 9th R3 Won in Shield Final
2017 League 1 1590645932818 6th R4 Fifth in Super 8s
2018 League 1 261401284152028 8th R4 Did not qualify
2019 League 1 20141574136429 3rd R4 Lost in Play-off Final 1895 CupR2
2020 League 1 League abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom R6 Promoted by independent panel following Toronto Wolfpack's expulsion.[18]
2021 Championship

Honours
Winners (1): 2008
Winners (1): 2016

Juniors

Newcastle Thunder run player development programmes for U12 through to U16's

Thunder also run a U16 Scholarship side and an U19 Academy side that play in the Super League U19's structure

The 2018 u16 team has seen wins against London Broncos, Widnes Vikings and Leeds Rhinos and the u19's picking up an early season win against Wakefield Trinity

References
  1. "Club History". Newcastle Thunder. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  2. "2001 Season". Cherry & White (RLFans). Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  3. "2002 Season". Cherry & White (RLFans). Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  4. "2003 Season". Cherry & White (RLFans). Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  5. "2005 Season". Cherry & White (RLFans). Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  6. "2006 Season". Cherry & White (RLFans). Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  7. "Newcastle Thunder". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  8. "McCormack joy as Thunder survive". BBC Sport. 7 September 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  9. "Gateshead rescue bid gathers pace". BBC Sport. 26 October 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  10. "Newcastle Thunder to soar under new ownership, predicts Brian Carney". Evening Chronicle. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  11. "Newcastle Thunder: Gateshead rugby league side relocates". BBC Sport. BBC. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  12. "Sunday 18th September 2016 Match Report". Rugby Football League. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  13. "Thunder awarded Championship place". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  14. "Dent moves north for 2018". Newcastle Thunder. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  15. "Ollett secures Thunder switch from Dewsbury". Newcastle Thunder. 20 November 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  16. "Castleford youngster Fitzsimmons joins Newcastle". Pontefract & Castleford Express. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  17. "Records and Honours". Newcastle Thunder. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  18. https://www.rugby-league.com/article/57486/newcastle-thunder-to-join-betfred-championship-in-
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