Tait’s rewarded by Falcons for his long service

DOUBLE centurion Alex Tait has been awarded a testimonial season after more than a decade at Newcastle Falcons.

The versatile back sits seventh in the Falcons’ list of all-time appearances on 232, scoring a hat-trick on his debut in 2008 and going on to become a first-team regular.

Tait’s testimonial will run from September 2019 until August 2020, with a number of events to be announced throughout the year in honour of the academy graduate who was born and raised in County Durham.

The testimonial will support three charities, Alzheimer’s Society, Restart Rugby and Children North East, who run 34 support services for babies, children, young people and their families around the region.

Tait first featured for the Falcons in A-League action in 2008 while still a pupil at Barnard Castle School, going on to help Newcastle win the Langholm Sevens before making his first-team bow the following season with a hat-trick in a European Challenge Cup win at Spanish side Cetransa El Salvador.

Playing predominantly at fullback and wing but also featuring in the centres, Tait’s time at the Falcons has seen him winning the Premiership Sevens and Championship title.

He also started in the AngloWelsh Cup final and made 154 Premiership appearances, of which 139 were starts.

Playing a further 36 times in European competition for the Falcons, the 30-year-old said: “It is a real honour to be awarded a testimonial year by the club I used to come and watch when I was a kid.

“Before the West Stand had even been built and there was just a temporary stand on that side of the ground my dad used to bring my brother and I down to watch games during the era of Inga Tuigamala and those kinds of guys.

“Tony Underwood came to visit my school when I was in year five and he was playing for the Falcons.

“I remember being totally starstruck so to go on and play more than 200 games for the club is pretty surreal.”

Falcons’ director of rugby Dean Richards said: “Alex epitomises what Newcastle Falcons is about.

“He has contributed a huge amount and it is fitting he will have this testimonial season to look forward to. He is a very hardworking player who performs at a consistently high level.”