A warm welcome to Grangefield for the players, committee and supporters from Hartlepool RFC who make the short journey from Mayfield Park to play us at 1st XV for the first time in a league game since 17 September 2016 eight years ago ( when they won 25-9 incidentally) , although our 2nds and 3rds have since met regularly in the CANDY & Tees Valley leagues.

And of course they put up a very spirited display in the Durham County Intermediate Cup here on a midweek evening last April 2024 when we managed to progress into the next round on a very wet evening by a score of 31-21 Our four tries were scored by: scrum half Nick Winstanley , Wing Te-Kori Moore, Prop Rhys McHugh and centre Jobe Roxby who also kicked three conversions

After two successive promotions in 2007/8 and 2009/10 under our former player/ coach Alan Brown, Hartlepool found things rather tough in Durham & Northumberland One in 2009/10 and were relegated . Over the next five seasons they regrouped and finished second in D&N2 to Barnard Castle in season 2015/16 so were promoted back to DN1 for 2016/7 .However they were relegated back to DN2 for the following season 17/18 where they remained for a few years before gaining promotion back to DN1 for season 2023/24 on the back of some very promising young players who had progressed through from their Junior section

They continue to play with great pride and commitment. It is never less than competitive against Hartlepool

We go again