Newcastle’s well-known for its sport, friendly people, and a good time, so it’s no surprise that Try Tag Rugby has gotten off to a cracking start in the North East in 2024! Since kicking off its first-ever league at the end of April, Try Tag Rugby Newcastle has been drawing nearly 150 players each week to its mixed-gender summer league at Paddy Freeman’s Park on Thursday nights. And it’s not just the rugby that’s scoring points—players are loving the post-match social at the Cornerhouse pub, making it one of the most social leagues in the country!
Mollie Cartwright, who’s been with the league since the beginning, is full of praise: “I would 100% recommend joining Tag Rugby, it’s a great team sport and not only is it great fitness it’s a great way to make friends. I have fallen in love with the sport and made lifelong friends. The atmosphere is amazing and both of the organisers are kind, caring and have everyone best interests at heart and look after every player like they are family.”
Behind the exciting new league are Jack Oddie and Natasha Botto, who run it as a side venture alongside their full-time jobs. And when they’re not juggling work and league duties, they’re busy with their two kids—and not forgetting their dogs, Paddy and Pedro! Jack, an award winning voiceover artist, and Natasha, who works in HR for the NHS, spotted an ad on Facebook about starting a Try Tag Rugby league in Newcastle and decided to go for it. It was just the kind of fun, social venture they’d been looking for.
“We were looking for something extra and fun to do, we came across TTR and absolutely saw a brilliant fit with Newcastle,” Jack and Natasha explained. “It has been a blast! We’ve both really enjoyed learning the ropes and are over the moon to have introduced the game to a lot more people and formed a new and inclusive community in the city. We’ve been lucky to have so many fantastic people each week and there’s been many really good friendships formed. It’s also fantastic to see so many people fall in love with the game and enjoy it every week.”
For the upcoming autumn season, the Newcastle League moves to a Monday night and the floodlit astro turf pitches at the Parks in North Shields. The nearby Salty Sea Dog is all set as the weekly after match social venue, and the word on the street is that Monday night is about to become North Shields’ new Friday night! New players are welcome to join straight up to the league. No experience is necessary and all new players are given a rules brief before they play.
It’s not just Newcastle that’s loving the game—2024 has been another impressive year so far for Try Tag Rugby across the UK. A record-breaking 912 teams, with just under 11,000 players, hitting the Tag fields every week this summer.
Try Tag Rugby York has also seen a successful launch, and in Sheffield, the Sheffield Eagles Foundation has taken over the Try Tag Rugby South Yorkshire licence including the existing Sheffield leagues. This is the first time a sports foundation has been awarded a licence, and a significant milestone for the sport’s development.
Try Tag Rugby is on the lookout for more enthusiastic, hard-working people to kick off new leagues in 2025. If you’re interested in bringing the fun to your area—whether it’s Cardiff, Glasgow, Birmingham, Nottingham, Cambridge or somewhere else—head over to the licence section of our website to learn more.