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Over 162 sponsors, suppliers and diners saw Aaron Hall from Belford, Northumberland presenting his first England shirt to club president Kim Drysdale for display in the clubhouse.

In recent years Berwick players have gone on to get international caps mostly on the Scottish side of the border, the latest being Gavin Kerr and Craig Smith. Also young players such as James King, Andrew Skeen and Max Learmonth (currently representing Scotland in the junior Six Nations at Cork ) are also making a name for themselves. However, Aaron is the first England international we have had for some time and everyone at the club wishes him well.

Aaron attends Berwick High School and is hoping to go to Northumbria University next year to study Business Studies. He is also a member of the Newcastle Falcons Development Squad and the Club is wondering if he is England 's most northerly capped player?

Aaron has recently returned from Italy where he took part in the European Cup Tournament consisting of 32 countries from France down to the likes of Andorra and Croatia . Aaron played against Georgia , Ireland and Italy in three very hard fought games. Throughout the tour the players were treated like and expected to act as full professionals. "It has been the highlight of my rugby playing career so far." said Aaron.

Berwick rugby club's enigma of being England's most northerly and Scotland's most southerly club came to the fore again when Northumberland county President John Saunders was a guest of honour at the club's annual Scottish and English Honoury Presidents Day when the club hosted Livingston RFC in Scottish Premier Division 3.

Honoury English and Scottish Presidents John Thompson and Jim Gladstone each had a table decked with their national flags, when some 90 people attend for lunch.

"Our lunches are now recognised as becoming an excellent way for companies and organisations to entertain their guests and we have a very loyal band of sponsors who come along for which we are very grateful. We even have tables of friends and cricket clubs who take a table for ten!"

The Scottish and English connection was further enhanced by Andy Frost and his two sons Alex and Ben who live just over the border in Scotland at Ayton. Andy has been presented with a Lifetime RFU Valued Volunteer award for tremendous service to the game and the club. A former member of Old Sallians RFC at Sale in Lancashire Andy has been running and

Son Ben who attends Eyemouth High School, was awarded Under 16 Player of the Year and Alex who now attends Harper Adams University in Staffordshire picked up Colt Player of the year. Another truly outstanding and enjoyable Anglo-Scottish effort and day all-round at Berwick!!

Above: BRFC President Kim Drysdale (left) with Northumberland President John Saunders and BRFC 1st XV Captain Colin Young.

Berwick rugby club have extended their already highly regarded youth structure by recruiting a player who suffers from a visual disability. Seventeen year old Adain Innes who attends the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh now plays on the wing for the clubs Colts XV and has scored three tries this season!

“I have to wear special contact lenses,” said Adain “ and although I can just about see the end of the pitch I can’t see what’s happening there and I can only see the ball when it’s about twenty yards away.”

Aidan as been playing at the club for about eighteen months now and got involved when one of his friends noticed what a fast sprinter he was and suggest he came and played for the club's Under 16's.

“Basically I’m very short sighted and colour blind but I hope to go to Heriot Watt University to study sports science and I would like to continue my rugby there.”

Aidan comes from Prior Park in Tweedmouth and attended St Cuthbert’s First school with his older and younger brothers attending the high School and Tweedmouth Middle School.

Andy Frost, the Berwick Colts team manager said “ Adain is a much respected member of the team and is especially admired by us all for his efforts and is an inspiration to the others. His dedication on the pitch has brought its rewards through his tries this season.”

Matthew Hackett on the wing, Arran Hall second row and Marcel Crolla scrum half have been selected to play for Northumberland under 18s county team. Their first game against

Cumbria

ended in a good win 25-7 Matthew and Arran both scoring a try in the match they are now looking forward to their next game against Yorkshire in 2 weeks time. The boys have worked extremely hard to get to this stage as standard of players was very high in the selection process.

Berwick Rugby Club's youth policy has paid off yet again with another future star being selected for a prestigious team which is often the first step towards representative honours. Guy Skivington-Jones from Ayton who attends Merchiston School has been selected for the Edinburgh Schools Under 16 Integrated side.

"This team represents all the school, colleges and clubs in the Edinburgh district" said Guy " and I am delighted to have been selected."

Guy will be playing against sides selected from the Borders and Glasgow followed by a tour to York. Guy is currently a member of Berwick's Colt side.

To celebrate the Rugby World Cup Berwick Rugby Club have been holding tag rugby festivals at their Scremerston ground on Fridays for the last two weeks. Over a thousand youngsters from Berwick, Tweedmouth, Belford, and Wooler Middle Schools as well as Longridge School have attended the sessions.

But it won't stop there as the sessions continue this and next week with children from the borough's first schools having their turn!

"Tag rugby is an excellent introduction to the game" said club Director of Rugby Dougie Hall "There is no tackling and boys, girls and adults can all play and enjoy the game. I would like to thank all the coaches who gave up their time to help the youngsters enjoy these sessions."

All the clubs pitches were split up into smaller sections so there were games continuously being played on a rotating basis with all the youngsters involved.

"The club is dedicated to improving the quality of life of the borough's youngsters" said press officer Steve Newman "and we would like to thank all the teaching staff at the local schools for their efforts in encouraging the sport".

Fowl play was suspected at Berwick rugby club at the start of National Egg Week when a large chicken appeared in front of the club house. Fortunately the bird was there to provide breakfast for over a 120 local children who play in the club's youth section.

The eggs were donated by local suppliers Oxenrigg and Sunny Hill Eggs who supply eggs to Newcastle United and who kindly donated the eggs and cooked eggybread and fried eggs for the players.

"This is part of our campaign to show the youngsters that a healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet and correct nutrition is vitally important when they're growing up" said Andy Martin, the Club Director of Youth Rugby.

" A good night's sleep is just as important and for breakfast an egg is just abut the most nutritious meal a sports player can have." Berwick have one of the largest youth sections in the Borders catering for both boys and girls from the ages of 7 to 18 so it was only natural to team up with the largest egg suppliers in the region as well.

Inside the chicken suit was Christine Jackson a Director of the firm who said" We wanted to organise this event to show how important we think that nutrition is to young people." Sunnyside Eggs can be contacted on 01668 219970 or if you want to know more about youth rugby at the club call 01289 302141.

Congratulations to Ian Moody and Arron Hall who have been selected to play for the Newcastle Falcons Development Squad on a tour of Ireland where they will be playing against Munster and Connaught.

Over 60 youngsters attended a 4 day mini rugby course at the Swan Sports Centre in the town during the school holidays. The children were coached by the club's qualified coaches and the Under 13 squad who helped as "gophers"! The event was sponsored by Three Rivers Housing and on a wet day the Centre kindly allowed the youngsters inside to be coached on rugby skills in the sports hall.

Our latest International cap is Max Learnmonth seen here on the right with Roy Bloxham after winning his Under 17 cap and being presented with his Scottish kit. Max has just returned from the north of Madrid where he was at a three week training camp for the Scottish Under 18 squad. Max has been doing very well in his training and there is a possibility that he could well be considered for the squad on the wing for the Six Nations.

barrier with 104 people now attending on Tuesday nights. The club now have five games going on throughout the evening which starts at 7 pm each Tuesday night at the club house at Scremerston with all the teams involved playing each other on a round robin basis.

"The tag rugby is becoming ever more popular" said club Press Officer Steve Newman " as there is no physical contact involved so eight year old boys and girls can be in the same game as 17 year olds and no one gets hurt." The club are pleased with the response that they are getting from the town for their evenings and are currently working on some ideas for possible events during the World Cup. Any one who would like to come along is more than welcome or they can phone 01289 302141 to find out more.

Berwick Rugby Club's 2nd XV, the Bears, are pictured here after their final in the Northumberland Second team's Cup at Morpeth.

Despite playing some excellent rugby the team lost out to a far stronger TYnedale side. However the Bears did manage to cross the Tynedale line thus becoming the only side in the entire competition to score against this powerful