Expansionists: Where are they now? Gateshead Thunder

Not to be put off by the failure of Paris, Super League launched another expansion plan by giving a licence to Gateshead Thunder ahead of the 1999 season.

A licence was given ahead of other bids from Swansea and Cardiff.

The new club had announced former St Helens coach Shaun McRae as their Head Coach. He was already a Super League winner, having led Saints to the inaugural title in 1996.

They had a decent first season, and finished sixth in the Super League. Just two points behind Castleford Tigers in the final playoff position. They beat the Saints home and away, as well as beating Wigan ‘on the road’ in Edinburgh.

However, trouble was to follow as the board announced they had lost £700,000 over the course of the season. This sparked them to announce a merger with Hull Sharks.

The new team would play their matches in Hull, meaning rugby league was out of the north east after just one season.

That merger did save Hull from the brink of brink of disaster. They had finished second bottom in the Super League and also had trouble off the pitch.

Meanwhile, a new Gateshead Thunder side had been given permission to enter the Northern Ford Premiership in 2001.

After an initial struggle, the club had started to find their feet and were promoted to the Championship in 2008. However,there was trouble a year later, as the club was wound up after a dispute between club directors. A new company was set up, but they were relegated as a result.

Gateshead Thunder were then no more in 2015, as they re-branded as the Newcastle Thunder after a takeover by Rugby Union side Newcastle Falcons.

Since then, they have been trying to grab another shot at the Championship. They came close last season, but were edged out by Oldham in the League One playoff final.

Legacy

The good thing about Gateshead, was they had enough fans who cared about them to form a new team when the old one went south.

It certainly proved that there is a gap in the North East which rugby league can exploit once more. There are plenty of efforts being made to get that club back up there.

With the Magic Weekend becoming a regular event in Newcastle, it is attracting more and more fans, and therefore attracting more and more attention for the locals.

There is also a growing community game in the North East. With teams in Durham, Whitley Bay, Catterick, Wallsend and Jarrow to name a few, the Thunder often take many players from these clubs into their academy.

Another amateur team had been started in Gateshead, called the Storm. They currently play in the NCL.

It is safe to say, they would be in a much better place to compete now than what they were back in 1999. There seems to be a much better business model in place, and interest is growing.