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North East touch rugby champions take on rest of UK

A local touch rugby team is taking on the best of the UK’s rugby teams when they represent the North East at England’s home of rugby, Twickenham, this coming weekend.

Coupe Crusaders touch rugby team, sponsored by Coupe Group, a construction and road markings contractor based in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was announced winner of the Newcastle Falcons Summer Touch League at Kingston Park in July.

The Newcastle Falcons Summer Touch League is the North East mixed touch rugby league which runs from May through to July each year. 30 teams from businesses across the region competed, with 21 playing in the social league, and nine in the advanced league. Men and women of all ages and abilities can play, with teams of four males and two females on the pitch at all times.

Coupe Crusaders, as overall winners of the league, will now represent the Falcons and the North East at Twickenham on 16 August. As a warm-up to the official Middlesex 7s kicking off, the team will play the winners of the respective competitions at all 11 other Guinness Premiership clubs - London Irish, London Wasps, Gloucester Rugby, Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, Worcester Warriors, Saracens, Harlequins, Bristol Rugby, Bath Rugby and Sale Sharks.

John Nichols, Coupe’s operations manager, as well as team captain and hooker for Durham City Rugby Club, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won! The Falcons summer league is a great opportunity to meet teams from other businesses around the North East and have fun on the pitch. The quality of teams in the league this year was better than ever, and it really came down to the wire as to who would win. We’re looking forward to going to Twickenham on 16 August and hopefully doing the North East proud by bringing back some silverware!”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .