The Programmes

Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme

AVIVA PREMIERSHIP RUGBY'S key legacy project, the Aviva Schools Programme, kicks off its third season in September.

The Programme, which comes with a £2m investment from Aviva, is an initiative which introduces more than 39,000 young people each season to rugby union through tag rugby, creating a vibrant and effective rugby legacy in England. The scheme targets new-to-rugby, non-traditional rugby schools. It provides five weeks of coaching and teacher training, grassroots club links, plus resources for the school to continue to play rugby in the future. Sarah Loughran, Head of Corporate Sponsorship at Aviva added "Key for Aviva was the ability for us to be able to deliver a sustainable legacy as part of the partnership that we have with Premiership Rugby. In the delivery of the Aviva Schools Programme we are seeing lasting results through 1200 teachers each year continuing to be able to teach Tag in their schools and so hopefully inspire the next generation of rugby players to take up the sport whilst impacting over 40,000 children each season." The Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme is aimed at Key Stage 2 pupils. Each Premiership Rugby club will work with two classes at 50 schools. The Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme involves a six week introduction to rugby:

  • Weeks 1-3 - Skill development and learning the rules
  • Weeks 3-5 - Skill development and team skills
  • Week 6 - Festival

The tag rugby festival in week six will be the first taste of competitive rugby for many children and will allow schools that are new to rugby to participate in a fun tag rugby festival with schools of a similar standard. One school from each Premiership Rugby club region will qualify for the Finals at Twickenham on Aviva Premiership Rugby Final day where they will represent their Premiership Rugby club

Wooden Spoon MLD/SLD Programme

This programme is provided to children with MLD/SLD requirements around the North East. The programme is supported by the Charity Wooden Spoon which advocates rugby as a vehicle for personal development. The programmes run by the falcons community foundation last six weeks and encompass regular training by our Community coaches Gavin Beasley and Daniel simpson as well as offers to attend match days and have a presentation of certificates.

HITZ Programme

The award winning HITZ programme delivered by Aviva Premiership Rugby Clubs and funded by national partners Comic Relief and Wooden Spoon. The programme works to initiate behaviour change and foster confidence in disenfranchised young people aged 11 to 19 from challenging backgrounds; encouraging them to remain in or re-enter education, undertake apprenticeships or vocational training and enter paid employment.




Aims and objectives of the HITZ programme:

  • Support and educate disadvantaged and disillusioned young people into further opportunities in mainstream education and training, whilst realising their own personal outcome (Employment, independent living, volunteering, continued rugby participation)
  • Encourage participants into regular sporting participation to receive the associated health and wellbeing benefits
  • Increase participation in rugby
  • Encourage good relations between people regardless of their backgrounds
  • Reduce crime and anti-social behaviour Encourage good relations between people regardless of their backgrounds

Kevin Cahill: "Comic Relief aims to bring about real and lasting change by tackling the root causes of poverty and social injustice, rather than simply treating the symptoms. Over the years, we have seen that when people are given the chance to change the way they live and fulfil their potential, they invariably grab it with both hands. HITZ is a fantastic programme which inspires young people who live in the toughest inner city areas, and are at risk of anti-social behaviour and exclusion from school, to turn their lives around. We are proud to partner Premiership Rugby by funding HITZ programmes throughout England."

Bill Hill CEO Wooden Spoon: "Wooden Spoon is delighted to be a major contributor to Hitz. Youth unemployment is a huge issue for our society and if we can place just one individual into employment or apprenticeship from the programme, the long term saving to society is around £ 100,000. The social return on this programme is enormous but giving a young individual their first start in life is...priceless!"

Newcastle Falcons will be running Hitz recruitment sessions across Newcastle, Gateshead and the surrounding area.

For more information on the programme or to get involved contact Hitz Project Officer Sam Shaw-Kew on 07764 933300.

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For more details please visit the Hitz website

King of Tag

The King of Tag event takes place every year at Kingston Park. Teams who have won their respective finals across the region compete against other regional finalists to win the prestigious title of King of Tag and win a trip to Rugby National Finals.

For more information, please contact gavin.beasley@newcastle-falcons.co.uk

Landrover Cup

The Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup is a nationwide tournament for under-11 and under-12 teams. It is the first of its kind to be officiated by Premiership Rugby and run in conjunction with all 12 Premiership Rugby clubs.

Watch this space for details on date and location or contact melanie.magee@newcastle-falcons.co.uk to register your interest.

Touch Rugby

Touch is Rugby's answer to 5-a-side football - it's fast, enjoyable, involves no contact and can be played by both young & old, males & females. Touch Rugby is such an easy game to play that even if you have never played rugby before you will have no problem picking it up. In fact around half the participants will have never played rugby before! It's a great way of keeping fit or getting fit while enjoying an evening in the summer sunshine with friends enjoying drinks, music & a BBQ.

NRU RDP

The Falcons Community Foundation work closely with Northumberland Rugby Union to organise a Regional Development Programme. Key skill areas which require development are identified across the game and age groups and coaching evenings are set up. Newcastle Falcons players design specific sessions to assist with the target area and deliver evenings accordingly.

  • 13th September 2012 - Line out Part 1 @ Rockcliff
  • 18th September 2012 - Front Row @ Novos
  • 4th October 2012 - Half Back Play @ Morpeth
  • 15th October 2012 - Back Play Attack @ Morpeth
  • 29th October 2012 - Back Play @ Percy Park
  • 25th February 2012 - Defence @ Ponteland
  • 14th March 2012 - Line out part 2 @ Rockcliff

Places are limited, so please book early by contacting Melanie Magee on 0191 214 2810