The catchment area is the counties of Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland and within these counties there are structures and support mechanisms in place to develop the most talented players towards being involved with the Newcastle Falcons Academy.

The club has always taken a holistic view that the 'person' is more important than the 'player' because for the small percentage of people that make it as professional players, rugby is not a life-long career. For those who do not reach the professional ranks, it is hoped that they will filter back into the community game in the region at a level appropriate to them. Managing the expectations of players and putting rugby in perspective are important parts of the academy process, and despite the elitist nature of the regional academies, the whole programme is very much player-centred and developmental.

When a player joins the Academy they can expect to receive different benefits based on their individual needs. The aim is to help them become a better rugby player in a professional environment with training in areas such as technical skills, tactical appreciation, strength and conditioning, sports psychology and lifestyle management. However, there are very good players in every age group, so to stay in the academy is very difficult and requires dedication and commitment. There are no guarantees that a player will stay involved with the Academy if they do not continually demonstrate the potential to reach the highest levels.

The purpose of the Junior Academy is to identify, educate and develop the most talented young players in the region towards being involved in the Senior Academy. Players are identified from a number of sources, including the School of Rugby U15/U16/U17/U18 county and representative sides, club scouts and occasionally other sports. The players who progress from the Junior Academy into the Senior Academy tend to be of international calibre, such is the competition for places. The players in the Junior Academy train together once per week and sessions will usually involve a mixture of field-based, classroom-based and gym-based activities.

We play a few U16 and U18 fixtures but there is no 'team' as such, so all players will have a playing and training programme away from the Academy, either at their school, club or a mixture of both. Players should aim to play one game per week during the season to maximise their rugby experience whilst avoiding burnout. The group is split into two categories, the Elite Player Development Group (EPDG) and the England Academy Scholars (EAS). The EPDG access the weekly sessions outlined above and have been identified as having the potential to play at a high level so are given the opportunity to train in a professional setting. The EAS are the players who are in the process of being fast-tracked towards the Senior Academy and beyond. They receive a wide range of support as well as the weekly sessions and will sometimes train with the 1st team squad.

The School of Rugby (SOR) is an RFU initiative designed to up-skill the most talented young rugby players in the country. It consists of the best 10-12 players at each age group (U13-U16) from each county (Durham, Northumberland and Cumbria) and is delivered by county-based coaches with support from the Newcastle Falcons Academy.

These players train together roughly once per month during the season to develop core skills and to introduce other elements of training such as functional strength development and goal setting.

The representative playing programme for these players is via the district and county squads with players in the School of Rugby still having to attend their respective assessment sessions. Screening takes place every summer for existing School of Rugby players and any new nominations from local clubs/schools. This programme underpins the academy process and is the first step on the ladder for an aspiring rugby player.

The Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) was developed by the RFU and the Learning Skills Council (now Skills Active) to provide talented players with a different educational option whilst developing their rugby. The Newcastle Falcons AASE Scheme is ran at Gosforth Academy in Newcastle and caters for talented players aged 16-18 who will complete their A Level/B Tec courses at the school as well as an NVQ in Sporting Excellence.

The NVQ is practically assessed on evidence so the students on the scheme have their 16 hours of rugby provision during their weekly timetable. Each Premiership Academy runs their AASE Scheme in a different way and new government guidelines are changing the way apprenticeships are ran. Recruitment occurs each year via invite only and usually from the SOR and county squads. Ed Midcalf is the AASE Scheme Manager and can be contacted at edward.midcalf@gosforthhigh.newcastle.sch.uk.

The purpose of the Senior Academy (U19-U24) is to identify, educate and develop the best rugby players in the region towards professionalism. Players are identified from a number of sources, including the Junior Academy, senior club sides, university teams and club scouts. The players will usually train with the first team squad at Newcastle Falcons during the week and will receive additional one-to-one coaching as well as regular feedback and analysis from coaches.

They will be in contention for selection with the first team but usually play for the A Team and most will have a playing programme away from the club in National Leagues to ensure they are getting enough rugby at an appropriate level. The group is split into two categories, England Academy Scholars (EAS) and Associated players. The EAS are the players who will train full-time and have a wide range of support for both on field and off field development.

The Associated players spend most of their time at local university or club sides and will guest for the A Team on occasions. These players are very talented but still have to prove themselves at the senior level before being invited into the Academy on a more formal basis. Each year a new batch of players will come into contention for selection within the Senior Academy so current academy players must work extremely hard to earn a full-time playing contract. Only a small percentage of players will ever become professional players and most will filter back into an appropriate level of the community game, hopefully having learnt from their experiences and being able to raise the standard of the local rugby scene.