Opportunity to put women’s game in the North East on the map, as well as raising vital funds
The countdown is on to the second biggest women’s rugby event of the year in the region, as the North East XV team take on a formidable Armed Forces team for the charity Military Vs Cancer.
Newcastle Falcons’ Kingston Park will set the stage for the event, which takes place on June 21st – two months before the Women’s Rugby World Cup opens with England playing the USA at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland.
While these events are putting the North East on the map when it comes to women’s rugby, the lack of a premiership team in the region for women to aspire to is still a problem, according to Francesca Johnson-Harding, Chair of Rugby NE Women’s Rugby, who is looking for more businesses in the region to support the North East Women’s XV events.
The women’s team taking part in one of two charity matches on the day includes a number of North East women who have left the region to pursue their rugby careers elsewhere. They are Sophie Shams of the Saracens and Ealing, Meg Gardener, who used to play for the Darlington Mowden Park Sharks before their demise, but now plays for Kenilworth, Linzi Taylor of Kenilworth – also formerly of the Darlington Mowden Park Sharks – and Evie Tonkin of the Sale Sharks and Scotland.
The North East Women’s XV team have secured two further matches later in the year, but sponsorship is required for these and to enable investment into the women’s game across the North East.
Francesca, who also runs kennels Centre Barks, in Sedgefield, said: “The Military Vs cancer game on June 21st is the biggest game we will be playing this year.
“This game is the second of four fixtures for the North East Women’s XV in 2025, as we have secured two more fixtures on August 20 and August 29 with the USA collegiate.
“Students in Teesside, Sunderland, Leeds, Newcastle, Northumberland and Durham are all expected to take part.”
The event at Newcastle Falcons on June 21 will also see an elite team of men take on the UK Armed Forces men’s team and will have a strong Armed Forces presence featuring canons, tanks and weaponry on display.
As the largest semi-professional rugby event of its kind in the UK, the double-header is not just about elite sport.
It’s also a celebration of resilience, remembrance, and unity – with every pass, tackle and try played in tribute to those fighting cancer and those we’ve lost.
Last year, £48,000 was raised for the charity as the UK Armed Forces RFC did battle with North of England Men and Women’s Select teams.
This year, the charity will honour Cpl Tim Crossin RM and L/Cpl Nathan Summersgill-Smith RM, two servicemen who lost their battles with cancer, but whose courage and legacy continue to inspire the charity’s work.
As well as raising vital funds for charity, Francesca is hopeful that the event will help to raise the profile of the women’s game and encourage businesses to support women’s rugby in the North East and North Yorkshire financially, so that young female rugby players are less inclined to leave the region.
Francesca said: “We will be bringing back some of the ex-Darlington Mowden Park Sharks players, who played in our region when we had this premiership team but have now moved away to pursue their rugby careers.
“The Armed Forces put together a strong team, so we’ve had to bring back some of the big guns we have lost to other areas.
“We are hoping to regain some investment in the women’s game in our region and with a global brand like Red Bull in talks with Newcastle Falcons over a potential takeover, perhaps now is the time to highlight the need to invest in the women’s game.”
Last year’s clashes set the bar high, with the UK Armed Forces Men defeating the North of England Men 90–14, while the women’s match saw the UK Armed Forces team seal a commanding 38-05 win over their Northern counterparts.
Steven Colwell, President of Durham University RFC, has played an integral role in the build up to the event.
“We look forward to returning to Kingston Park,” he said.
“It’s an opportunity for some of the North’s top players to pay their respects to our servicemen and raise money and awareness for Military vs Cancer.
“Our men are determined to avenge last year’s defeat to the UK Armed Forces team, and for our women, it’s an opportunity to fly the flag for women’s rugby in a region so desperately in need of these great, high-level events.
“As a group, we are grateful to Military vs Cancer, a charity who make a real difference and inspire us to play for them.”
UK Armed Forces Women’s head coach WO2 Sarah Mitchelson explained how the match marks a key milestone in the UK Armed Forces women’s team’s season, as they build up to the International Defence Rugby Championships later this year.
She said: “We are thrilled to participate in this match, as it serves as an excellent promotion for women’s rugby and women’s sports in general.
“It supports a remarkable charity that holds significant meaning for many of us, and we take great pride in backing it. Last year’s match was a challenging, yet spectacular event for the sport, and we anticipate nothing short of that this year.”
The North East Women’s XV are looking for corporate sponsorship for this and future events, with prices starting from as little as £150 to cover a player’s kit, all the way up to Lead Partner level sponsorship. For a sponsorship Brochure, contact Sarah Walker at SASS Media on 07896 894538 or via e-mail at sarah.walker@sassmedialtd.co.uk.
Tickets for the games on June 21st are available at the Newcastle Falcons website or for discounted tickets for military personnel, visit the Defence Discount Service.