Fylde are hoping that their trip to the North East on Saturday when they visit Billingham RUFC (ko 14.15) won’t be disrupted by Storm Darragh as it sweeps across the UK.
Coming off the back of two successive defeats, this is an important challenge for the Lancastrians. Whilst their loss to one of the promotion favourites, Leeds Tykes, at the Woodlands last Saturday was disappointing, they will take confidence in their competitiveness in a very close contest which could have gone either way. However, their away form this season has been fitful with three defeats in six matches to date and Billingham will provide steely opposition.
This will be only the 3rd ever game between the two clubs. Fylde notched a double last season in two very competitive fixtures, 32-26 at the Woodlands and 25-38 at Greenwood Road.
Billingham celebrated their 100th anniversary last season, being formed four years after Fylde in 1924. The town is situated north of the River Tees in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees. The Club gained promotion from the North East Regional Premiership to the National Leagues in 2023 marking the Club’s highest level achievement in their long history. In 2022-23 they led the division for a long period and proudly took their place in the National League in 2023-24. It proved rather a struggle and they finished the campaign in 12th place, just above the relegation zone.
This season they started very promisingly with two victories and a draw in their first three matches. More recently they have found the going hard and are enduring a run of five successive defeats. As Fylde know very well, that will have little impact on the energy and determination that they will face other than a motivator to beat their higher ranked visitors.
Billingham play their home matches at the well sited Greenwood Road and enjoy one of the RFU-funded all weather surfaces. This will suit both teams on Saturday as they enjoy open, running tactics without the worry of waterlogged, heavy grass pitches.
In December 2000 a £750,000 lottery grant brought the opening of the new clubhouse giving the club a solid base and identity and that has served as a stepping-stone to current success and advancement. This is an ambitious club with very strong roots in the local community accompanied by careful financial and sporting management. Their vibrancy is reflected in a buoyant playing membership, from the U6s to Colts, 4 senior teams, 3 girls teams – 19 teams in all!
Their Head Coach is Daniel Finney and their skipper this season is Elliott Husband.
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One of a number of impressive Fylde newcomers this season has been powerful lock/backrower Michael Walton. A native of the North East, he made 54 1st XV appearances for Billingham, mainly between 2021 and 2024. Earlier in his rugby career he was part of Newcastle Falcons Academy and played university rugby in the BUCS Super league for Northumbria for three years. Michael was prominent for Billingham in both games between the two clubs last season.
So Saturday will be a quick return to his old hunting ground and he’s likely to come up against his brother Ben, another big lock/backrower who is a regular 1st XV’er in the National League. Michael has already notched five tries in 10 appearances for his new club.
We asked Mike about the upcoming game and, in particular, the experience of seeing his brother in the opposing team.
“The last time I played my brother, apart from social rugby, was when I was skippering Northumberland U’20s against Durham which included brother Ben who was only 18 at the time. I can remember that it was a pretty tough game with only one score in it. Luckily I was the one to score in the dying minutes to give us the win. Ben got the last laugh as we didn’t qualify for the Twickenham Final but they did. I’ll be nervous to play against him. He was always the better brother.
“It’ll be a great test to play against my former club and an enjoyable experience playing along with and against two different sets of top class mates. Anything can happen at Greenwood Road, but hopefully a win is on the cards to put us back on track.”
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Fylde make two changes in their starting line-up, Rob Williamson at hooker and Cam Smith on the wing. Sam Parker, Chris Rudkin & Ben Dorrington join the replacements. It’s especially good to see the return of Sam who was injured in the first few minutes of the opening game of the season at Sheffield RUFC.