Rugby
In 2027, we will be celebrating 150 years of rugby at RGS, a sport central to life at school since our Rye Hill days.
The Beginnings
Rugby was played informally at RGS as early as 1875, but it was not until 1877 that we recognised it as a formal sport and established the 1st XV team. The first team captain was Vickerman Henzell Rutherford (1861-1934) (RGS 1875-78), later a Liberal MP for Brentford (1906-10).
The earliest teams would have included both staff and boys, and games would have been against club teams such as Percy Park, Northern and Gosforth Nomads. During this period, the school was lucky to have two brothers on the staff who had played for Northumberland County – AS Haslam (RGS c.1885-89) and the Reverend Hedley Haslam (RGS 1886-1917), the latter was also President of Northumberland Rugby Union, 1914-18.
The first official school rugby kit design was a white jersey with a badge of a red shield and white castles – Thomas Horsley’s family coat of arms.
Photograph of Rye Hill, c. 1950s. The large grass area at the forefront is 'The Flat'. [RGS Archives, ref: 149]
Photograph of the RGS 1st XV rugby team, 1897. RGS Archives [ref: RGS/PHO/3/1]
During the first decade of rugby, players struggled with the facilities. The grounds at the Rye Hill, known as ‘The Flat’, and kept in such a poor state that they were unusable until 1889. Students had therefore been using grounds at Burdon Terrace, which were lost when the Corporation took over the site for building the Fleming Memorial Hospital. For a time,the school had no home ground at all. Even with these challenges, rugby was clearly a popular sport from the start. By 1887 RGS had 1st, 2nd and 3rd XV teams. The RGS Branch School, opened in 1897, also fielded teams.
The success of the teams varied, of course, across these first few decades.
In 1892, RGS won the Schools Cup against Dr Ehrlich's School, and the innovation of school ‘colours’ was introduced in 1894 for the first time. The first recipients of rugby colours were HG Walker and Richard O Boggon (1889-95).
Another landmark date was 12th September 1899, with the founding of the Old Novocastrians Rugby Football Club.. Initially only accepting Old Novos as members, this changed in 1969 to an ‘open’ club with a new name of Novocastrians RFC. The Club celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2024, find out more here:
Photograph of Old Novocastrians RFC, 1927. RGS Archives
A New Start: Jesmond
The move to Eskdale Terrace in 1906 brought a major boost, a school field at the heart of the school, divided into 8 football fields and a cricket pitch. A new House system was introduced, allowing for inter-house matches. The school field was also used for county matches – notably Northumberland v Yorkshire in 1911.
By 1912, there were six Old Novos on the Northumberland County XV team, including Alastair McNaughton Smallwood (RGS 1907-12) who was "destined to become our most illustrious player ever" [as of 1977] and staff member, Mr BM Mackenzie (RGS 1913-14), who was sadly a victim of the First World War.
Photograph of the RGS 1st XV rugby team, 1906-07. RGS Archives [ref: SUR122]
Eric Sutherland Krause (1919-2008)
Eric Krause (ON 1931-39) played rugby for English Schools vs Wales, in a 1933 match. He was captain of the RGS 1st XV team during his time at school.
England Schools Rugby Union Cap, owned by Eric Krause 1933. [RGS Archives, ref: RGS/OBJ/1/2]
Photograph of Eric Sutherland Krause (1919-2008) (ON 1931-39) at the English Schools XV v. Wales rugby match, 1933. RGS Archives
England rugby jersey, belonging to Eric Krause in 1933. [RGS Archives, ref: RGS/OBJ/1/4/1]
Red velvet RGS rugby colours cap, 1949-50. [RGS Archives, ref: RGS/OBJ/1/2/20]
A further development in 1928, was the acquisition of Sutherland Park in Benton, named after Sir Arthur Munro Sutherland (RGS 1878-83) who had bought the site and loaned it for use by RGS and Old Novos RFC. The school bought the ground in 1940, and it is still the home of Novos RFC today.
Other sports began to be more accepted at RGS by the early 1930s, and rugby was no longer the only winter sport with boxing and swimming on the timetable. During the evacuation of the school to Penrith in World War II sports were of course disrupted, however games were still played with nearby schools.
Photograph of the RGS 1st XV rugby team in Penrith, 1943-44. RGS Archives [ref: 168]
Photograph of the playing fields at Benton, Sutherland Park, c.1930 RGS Archives
Photograph of an RGS 1st XV rugby match, 1950s. Photographer: Philip Warren. [RGS Archives, ref: 155]
RGS rugby club fixtures booklet c.1930s. Walton Telfer Papers. RGS Archives [ref: RGS/ONS/3]
Marking A Centenary
John Elders (RGS 1957-82 & 92-96) joined RGS in 1957 as Head of Rugby, bringing a wealth of experience as a rugby union player, who went on to coach the England team between 1972-74. Elders later became Games Master until 1982.
Photograph of the players at the RGS rugby centenary match, Sutherland Park, 12 September 1977. RGS Archives
Elders wrote and edited a special publication to mark 100 years of rugby at RGS in 1977, in which he reflected the following:
So we arrive at the end of the first one hundred years. Let us take stock. Many of the aims of earlier Novocastrians have been achieved. We have excellent playing facilities, a truly national fixture list, a strong team of coaches, a steady supply of eager young players anxious to maintain and improve the standards set by their predecessors. Whether we can maintain our position as one of the North's top rugby playing schools remains to be seen. Certainly there will be ups and downs. This is not important. There will always be bad years in amongst the good ones, if we only consider results. There are more important reasons for playing, most important ENJOYMENT. For the boy in the Junior School playing his first game or the Middle School boy playing in the House League Competition or further up for those playing in the 1st XV – winning is obviously important, winning well is more so, but most of all an enjoyable game, win or lose, played in the right spirit, is the truly marvellous experience.
RGS Newcastle Rugby Centenary Publication 1877-1977, p.25
Signed menu from the RGS rugby centenary dinner, 1977. RGS Archives [ref: BM434]
Publication RGS Rugby Football Club 1877-1977, by John Elders (1977) RGS Archives
The 125th anniversary was also celebrated in 2002, with a special match against Durham School and a Festival of Rugby.
Second Master John Armstrong (1972-2003) was also celebrated on the occasion of his retirement; he had spent 30 consecutive years coaching the 2nd XV rugby team.
125th anniversary of rugby at RGS, celebratory match. 2003 Yearbook. RGS Archives
21st Century Sport
Rugby continues as a core RGS sport in 2025. The kit is now red, white and black stripes. There are RGS teams currently listed across Rugby 7’s, 10’s and Rugby Union, including girls' teams for U14s, U13s and U11s.
Photograph of an RGS rugby player, c.2019. ©RGS Newcastle
Photograph of RGS rugby team, c.2019. ©RGS Newcastle
Some key rugby milestones from more recent years include:
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1994 – RGS Rugby 1st XV reached the finals of the Daily Mail Cup in 1994 at Twickenham
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2002 – Old Novo Jim Pollock joins RGS staff as a Sports Teacher (ON 67-77 & RGS Sports Teacher 02-19). Pollock is a former Scottish International Rugby Union Player and was appointed President of Northern Football Club in 2024.
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2010 – The 1st XV were runners-up at the 2010 final of the NatWest Schools Cup at Twickenham.
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2011 – Installation of the Sports Hall of Fame in the Dining Hall – showcasing players who have played nationally or internationally for their sport.
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2011 – First co-ed international sports tour, including rugby, hockey and netball teams, to Australia
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2015 – RGS was the official base for the Scottish Rugby Team during the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The Webb Ellis Trophy visits RGS during this time.
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2015 - First John Elders Memorial Match, of Novos RFC v ONA at Sutherland Park. Match in memory of former RGS Games Master and Head of Rugby John Elders, who died that year.
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2016 - The Metcalf Cup was introduced to celebrate the history of RGS Newcastle and The Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation competing against each other at rugby.
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2018 – The 1st XV achieved an historic victory at the St Joseph’s College National Schools’ Rugby Festival.
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2019 – RGS won the Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens competition for the first time
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2022 - Historical 7s win for RGS U16s rugby team, crowned champions of the Socs RGS Newcastle Sevens.
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2023 - New Head of Rugby, Joel Conlon, joins following positions at Brighton College, Exeter Chiefs and Saracens.
Photograph of Paul Ponton with the rugby team, n.d. (c.1990s). RGS Archives
Special Novo edition for the RGS 1st XV Rugby team in the final of the Daily Mail Cup, Twickenham, 2010. RGS Archives
The Webb-Ellis trophy on display at RGS, during the Rugby World Cup 2015. ©RGS Newcastle
Programme from the joint RGS hockey and rugby tour to South Africa, 2018. RGS Archives