Newcastle Ravens
Encyclopedia
Newcastle Ravens Rugby Football Club is a rugby union
team located in Newcastle upon Tyne
, England
. The team was organised to help encourage gay
people to take part in the sport. Dave Burke, who is the current chairman, founded the team in 2006 and it is run by a board of four elected members. The Ravens were admitted as members of the International Gay Rugby Association and Board
in 2006.
tournament in Copenhagen
and played as part of the Cardiff Lions
team. The combined squad recorded victories over NOP Amsterdam Rugby Club (35-5), Malmö Devilants
(30-5 and 35-0) and the Caledonian Thebans RFC (5-25), drawing with the Emerald Warriors 10-10 on the way. The squad missed out in a tense final in Copenhagen to the Emerald Warriors RFC (10-5) after extra time. In May 2009 the club participated in the Union Cup
tournament in London
, hosted by the Kings Cross Steelers
.
Corporate Rugby Tournament. The Ravens had Falcons and England rugby team
player Mathew Tait
in their squad for the event, during which they achieved a draw and two losses.
tournament and 15s game. The Ravens achieved a 3-1 win over the Thebans and a 0-0 draw with the Cardiff Lions. The 2008 and 2009 clinics finished with a 10s tournament, both of which were won by the Ravens.
in Dublin under the joint team name of Northern Stags. The Stags entered the tournament at the Shield level but were promoted to the Bowl where they finished as Quarter Finalists.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team located in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The team was organised to help encourage gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
people to take part in the sport. Dave Burke, who is the current chairman, founded the team in 2006 and it is run by a board of four elected members. The Ravens were admitted as members of the International Gay Rugby Association and Board
International Gay Rugby Association and Board
International Gay Rugby Association and Board is the umbrella organization for the world's gay rugby clubs. It is dedicated to encouraging lesbians and gay men everywhere to play rugby...
in 2006.
Union Cup
The Ravens sent players to the 2007 Union CupUnion Cup
The Union Cup is a biennial European, non-professional, gay rugby union tournament, bringing together teams and joint teams from all over Europe.-Montpellier 2005:The first edition was held in May 2005 in Montpellier, France...
tournament in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and played as part of the Cardiff Lions
Cardiff Lions
The Cardiff Lions RFC is a gay and gay friendly rugby union football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club was founded in 2004 and remains the only gay rugby club in Wales...
team. The combined squad recorded victories over NOP Amsterdam Rugby Club (35-5), Malmö Devilants
Malmö Devilants
Malmö Devilants RFC is a Swedish gay rugby union and volleyball club in Malmö. Malmö Devilants was founded 2004 and was the first gay rugby team in Scandinavia. Malmö Devilants are a member of International Gay Rugby Association and Board. Devilants have been playing in Union Cup in 2005 and 2007...
(30-5 and 35-0) and the Caledonian Thebans RFC (5-25), drawing with the Emerald Warriors 10-10 on the way. The squad missed out in a tense final in Copenhagen to the Emerald Warriors RFC (10-5) after extra time. In May 2009 the club participated in the Union Cup
Union Cup
The Union Cup is a biennial European, non-professional, gay rugby union tournament, bringing together teams and joint teams from all over Europe.-Montpellier 2005:The first edition was held in May 2005 in Montpellier, France...
tournament in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, hosted by the Kings Cross Steelers
Kings Cross Steelers
The Kings Cross Steelers are an English rugby union team, the first open membership gay and bisexual rugby club in the world.The Kings Cross Steelers are currently playing in the .-History:...
.
Newcastle Falcons Corporate Rugby
The club participated in the 2007 Newcastle FalconsNewcastle Falcons
The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in...
Corporate Rugby Tournament. The Ravens had Falcons and England rugby team
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
player Mathew Tait
Mathew Tait
Mathew Tait is an English rugby union footballer. He is an outside centre, a fullback or wing...
in their squad for the event, during which they achieved a draw and two losses.
Caledonian Thebans Rugby Clinic
The Ravens attended the Caledonian Thebans RFC rugby clinic in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The 2007 tournament was capped with a mini 7sRugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
tournament and 15s game. The Ravens achieved a 3-1 win over the Thebans and a 0-0 draw with the Cardiff Lions. The 2008 and 2009 clinics finished with a 10s tournament, both of which were won by the Ravens.
The Bingham Cup
The Ravens teamed up with the Caledonian Thebans RFC to attend the 2008 Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial TournamentMark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament
The Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament or the Bingham Cup is a biennial international, non-professional, gay rugby union tournament, first held in 2002...
in Dublin under the joint team name of Northern Stags. The Stags entered the tournament at the Shield level but were promoted to the Bowl where they finished as Quarter Finalists.