Following the Visit England Tourism Awards last week, Newcastle Falcons is pleased to announce that St Cuthbert’s House will once again act as player sponsors for Zach Kibirige for the 2015/16 season.

The luxury bed and breakfast, which took home silver in the national Sustainable Tourism Awards at the Sage last week, having been voted as England’s best bed and breakfast in the 2014 awards, joined forces with the Falcons at the start of last season when they signed up as player sponsors of academy winger Kibirige, and after enjoying many of the benefits of that relationship this season, have vowed to continue into next term.

St Cuthbert’s House owner Jeff Sutheran explained: “We’re a family that’s rugby mad; over the years the whole family has travelled thousands of miles to watch our boys play, but the Falcons are our team and we’re very passionate about them, and so get to as many games as we can.

“It’s turned out really well for us to sponsor Zach, and to forge a partnership with Newcastle Falcons which allows us to contribute in such a positive way to something we’re all passionate about, while at the same time raising the profile of our business.

“When we first started sponsoring Zach it was all completely new to us, and we weren’t sure what to expect, or bring to the arrangement. But when we met Zach at the player sponsors evening we got on really well with him – and so did our whole family. We’ve all grown really fond of him now – something we didn’t really see coming.”

Owned and run by Jeff and his wife Jill, St Cuthbert’s House offers 5-star accommodation in a stunning refurbished former church within the coastal town of Seahouses, on the Northumberland coast.

For the Sutherans, a partnership with Newcastle Falcons was not only a personal fit but a professional one too.

“Like the Falcons, we recognise that every aspect of the guest experience plays into the overall impression. That’s why we’ve concentrated on delivering a high quality experience, which is much more than simply providing a place to stay. When guests come to St Cuthbert’s House we’re thrilled that they seem to consistently find something pretty special.”

And like the Falcons, St Cuthbert’s House is seeing its customer base expand rapidly by taking care of every detail of the visitor experience.

Their fledgling Falcon however made his return to competitive rugby for Blaydon last month, before turning out for the Premiership side in their final game of the season against Harlequins.

But the Sutherans are already looking forward to seeing their sponsored player take on a more prominent role with his parent club next season.

“We’re thrilled to be able to continue our support and encouragement for this young up and coming player. We’ve grown to like Zach and been able to get to know him a little, which wasn’t something we’d anticipated at the beginning. But now we definitely feel a loyalty towards him, as a whole family.”

As a direct result of their partnership with the Falcons, the Sutherans have also seen another unexpected benefit for St Cuthbert’s House.

“As a converted church, the building has a number of lovely large open spaces, and we wanted to showcase images of the beautiful local landscapes by a local artist. At the player sponsors dinner we met the Falcons’ club photographer Chris Lishman.

“His stunning Northumbrian landscapes are now displayed around the house for sale, something we’re very pleased about – and something that has come directly out of our relationship with the Falcons.”

Newcastle Falcons Commercial Sales and Retail Manager Clare Short said: “It’s great to have St Cuthbert’s House onboard with the club for another season as player sponsors.

“Working with the Sutherans is always a pleasure, not least because it gives us a great excuse to visit the stunning St Cuthbert’s House in such a beautiful part of our region! We’re thrilled to be working with the family and their business again, and look forward to seeing Zach’s return to the field next season and continuing to develop a strong relationship between the club, St Cuthbert’s House and Zach over the 2015/16 season.”

Player sponsorship packages for 2015/16 are now available for a number of our first team and Senior Academy players, including some of our recently announced signings. For more information and to find out how you can become more involved with the club please contact the Commercial Sales team on 0191 214 2892.

For more information on St. Cuthbert’s House visit their website at [www.stcuthbertshouse.com][1].

[1]: http://www.stcuthbertshouse.com