Hartlepool Rovers claimed their second Durham Northumberland one title with a 34-56 win away at Sunderland Rugby Club in April 2009. This Rovers side coached by Jonathan Wrigley and Craig Lee only lost one game all season and amassed a huge points difference of 630 points.

Rovers fielded three Foreman brothers in that season along with the likes of Andrew Lilley, Glen Wise, Mark Power, Simon Hall, Stew Grazier, Andrew Pinchen and Stu Palmer to name a few. Phil Hall was also instrumental that season before moving on to play international rugby for Bermuda .

The team scored plenty tries that season as you can imagine and even recorded an 89-0 record victory over Wallsend at the friarage in the October of 2008, as well as beating teams like Percy Park, Northern, Alnwick they also did the double over Horden as they stormed to the title.

It’s great to see that some members of that team are still playing at the club, Ste Smith now coach was part of that unit along with Darren Smith, Chris Sainty and Ian Pinchen and of course the teams mascot that season Ryan Foreman is now playing along side them this coming campaign.

Next week…….. A story of two seasons that turned Rovers around and in to Division Champions.