PRE-MATCH LUNCH
Pre-match lunches need to be booked in advance (by 23:59 on the Thursday) using a simple on-line reservation & payment system. Due to a maximum capacity this will be on a first-come-first-served basis.
The lunch prior to our next home match against Fylde on October 26th is sold out. The next available lunch is prior to the Harrogate match on November 16th when lunch will be served served from 12.30pm with BAR1876 opening from 12noon.
For further details: https://www.tynedalerfc.co.uk/a/prematch-lunches-66490.html
To Book:-

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CHESTER V TYNEDALE
Saturday 19th October 2024 (KO 3pm)
Our 1stXV head west again this weekend as we travel down the M6 to play Chester who have returned to our league after their season visiting far off places in National 2 West.
Its also back on the plastic again as several of our western friends (Chester, Lymm and Preston) all “benefit” from their artificial surfaces. (Lets hope all the skin wounds have healed from the Preston match two weeks ago)

WHY DID THE CLUBS NOT MEET IN THE LEAGUES UNTIL 2015?

In 1999-2000 Chester were promoted to North 1 (along with Darlington Mowden Park) from North 2 East, just as Tynedale were being promoted from North 1 to Nat.3 (N), so the clubs did not meet at that time.

There were then two near misses for Chester-
2008/09 - They lost 15- 40 in a play-off v Hull (North 1 runners-up)
2010/11 - Chester lost 14-16 away in a play-off v Sheffield Tigers (Nat.3 Midlands runners-up)
In each case they missed promotion into the National Leagues, and by 2008, until 2015, Tyne were in National One, so it wasn’t until September 2015 that the two teams met.

TYNEDALE v CHESTER LEAGUE MATCHES
The first four league matches played, strangely, all ended in wins for the away teams.
26th September 2015 - TYNEDALE 25 CHESTER 29
12th March 2016 - CHESTER 22 TYNEDALE 23
8th October 2016 - TYNEDALE 27 CHESTER 33
8th January 2017 - CHESTER 10 TYNEDALE 11

Since then the home sides dominated until October 2022 when Chester, the visitors, won at Tynedale Park.
2nd September 2017 - TYNEDALE 52 CHESTER 21
28th April 2018 - CHESTER 34 TYNEDALE 33
10th November 2018 - CHESTER 33 TYNEDALE 22
19th January 2019 - TYNEDALE 35 CHESTER 5
30th November 2019 - CHESTER 36 TYNEDALE 17
28th March 2020 - Tynedale v Chester cancelled (Covid)
9th October 2021 - CHESTER 32 TYNEDALE 31
12th February 2022 - TYNEDALE 38 CHESTER 14
22nd October 2022 - TYNEDALE 14 CHESTER 21
18th February 2023 - CHESTER 29 TYNEDALE 27

Thirteen matches: Tynedale 5 wins (355 points), Chester 8 wins (319 points)
Four matches with only one point between the teams;
Chester ahead on wins, but Tynedale on points.

CHESTER GOING UP?
In 2019, having finished second in the Nat2 North league behind Hull Ionians, promotion to National 1 beckoned in a play-off. However, a tough away game down in Kent against Nat 2 South runners-up Canterbury proved a step too far with the hosts running out winners 19-10.

WHERE DID CHESTER GO IN 2023/24 ?

In Season 2022/2023 most leagues were reorganised, renamed and resized and new regulations were introduced to enforce the principles of the Future Competitions Structure. Those principles reflected what players, clubs and administrators said were their priorities, and these were supported and agreed by the RFU, namely:-
1) Reduce the number of games played in the interests of player welfare.
2) Give more free weekends to allow players time off to recover or pursue other interests.
3) Reduce travel distance/time and allow for more local derbies.

National League rugby was restructured to create National 1, a league of 14 teams (level 3), and National 2, three leagues of 14, split into North, West and South (level 4).
Chester RUFC were moved into Nat2 (West) at the end of that 22/23 season, then moved back here for 24/25 – so we meet again.

REDUCING TRAVEL DISTANCE/TIME (Priority 3 above))
When Tynedale travel the 181 miles (approx.) from Corbridge to Chester on Saturday, this represents the furthest the team will travel for League matches this season.
When Chester played in Nat2 (West) last year they had to go to Redruth (343 miles) and Camborne (348 miles) – so when they come to Corbridge on February 15th 2025 for the return fixture it will seem like a local derby!

CHESTER THIS SEASON
Chester have had a mixed start to the season and currently sit 2 places above us in 11th position with 12 league points as opposed to our 8.
Chester’s League results to date:-
Preston 30 Chester 32
Chester 19 Lymm 51
Hull Ionians 30 Chester 19
Fylde 47 Chester 24
Chester 59 Sheffield Tigers 17
Harrogate 22 Chester 16

OFFICIALS
Referee: David Charlton
AR1: James Gray
AR2: Tudor Griffiths

Ground
Hare Lane
Littleton
Chester
CH3 7DB
01244 336017

Chester Website
https://www.chesterrufc.com/

Corbridge to Chester
179.9 miles via M6 (estimate 3hr 1min)

Weather Forecast
Sunny intervals, light south-west wind breeze, 15 degrees

OTHER TYNEDALE (Senior Section) MATCHES THIS WEEKEND

SATURDAY
Northern Wanderers v Tynedale Raiders – CaNDY 1 League
Tynedale Hadrians – No fixture
Tynedale Centurions v Ponteland II (3pm) – CaNDY 3N League
Tynedale Colts v Kelso Quins (3pm) – Border League

SUNDAY
Consett Colts v Tynedale Colts (1pm) – HALBRO NE & Cumbria League

SELECTED SQUADS