President's Letter, December 2025

Dear All,

As we move further into the season, the Club Committee would like to update you on the key actions underway to support the growth and development of our club.

Mini & Junior School Rugby Development

We continue to invest in expanding rugby within local schools. Alongside the Red Bull Schools Development Programme, we have engaged All Stars Coaching to deliver rugby sessions, events, and festivals aimed at encouraging pupils to join Ponteland RFC.

This programme is funded by the Club, and we are extremely grateful to Danny Harrison and The Harrison Foundation for their generous support. Early signs are very positive, with new young members already joining and getting involved in rugby.

Registration & Payment of Fees

Running the Club costs over £60,000 per year, and ensuring all players are registered on GMS and paying subscriptions is essential. Rugby subs remain significantly lower than many other sports.

We ask all parents/guardians to ensure they and their children are correctly registered on GMS. When registering, please also consider joining our “Perks and Pints” social membership for only £5 per month - this social membership secures discounts at local businesses as well as entry into our monthly draw.

Recruitment & Retention

A dedicated sub-committee is working across all sections - senior men, women, juniors, and minis - to strengthen player recruitment and retention.

Key initiatives include:

• The schools coaching programme (All Stars & Red Bull)

• Perks and Pints £5 per month social membership open to all, offering discounts with local businesses and monthly cash prize draws

• New incentive schemes for existing players, new players, and those who introduce recruits

• The launch of our Club Kit Shop, thanks to the hard work of Stu Avis and Jonathan Strutt, with a full range of kit available via our website (ideal for Christmas!)

This work has already helped us re-establish a fully functioning senior men’s 2nd XV.

Clubhouse Project

We appreciate it's been a while since we provided an update on the Clubhouse - we can assure you Clubhouse Project remains a long-term priority. Despite several complications in recent years, the sub-committee continues to explore viable build solutions and funding.

We continue to pursue the project and will update members as plans progress in the New Year.

Kind Regards,

Mike Robson

Club President