And the jersey donated by former Tynedale Panther Caity Mattinson is the first women’s international shirt to take pride of place at the club.
Having started playing rugby at the Corbridge club, Caity has made rapid progress in the sport and the now Darlington Mowden Park Shark and Team Northumbria player captains her country at U20 level. To show her appreciation for their help in getting her on the ladder, Caity, whose father and grandfather both played for the club, returned to Tynedale Park to run a training session with the girls who make up the current set of Panthers.
Coach Nick Oliver said: “She came down and ran a training session which the girls really enjoyed and which focused on basic skills, passing and catching techniques.”
Her appearance at Corbridge acted as a big inspiration to the girls there who are already showing great promise. Six of the seven Northumberland players invited to trial for the North of England U15 girls’ side come from Tynedale, with Holly Thorpe, Maisie James, Charlotte Sparks, Beyonce Fowler, Emily Longstaff and Hannah Carter receiving call-ups.
Having played for the U15 squad last season, both Charlotte Tweddle and Daisy Oliver have been invited to trial out for the North’s U18 side.
They have also been asked if they would be interesed in attending the RFU’s Advance Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) scheme at Bishop Burton College after impressing current senior England scrum half La Toya Mason while recently playing for Northumberland against Cumbria.
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