Rockcliff RFC. senior captains 2026/27 season. 🏉🟥🟨
Whitley Bay Rockcliff RFC. have announced their two senior captains for the upcoming 2026/27 season.
As previously reported, leading the Men’s First Team will be Niall Stokes and now we can confirm that leading the Roses will be Caitlin McVeigh.
Niall and Caitlin follow in prestigious and historic footsteps as previous holders of this title have included :-
- an England captain, E.W. Taylor, who captained the club from 1892-95 and from 1897-99 (becoming the first person to hold the office on two separate occasions);
- three England internationals, Stan Anderson (captain 1899-1902), Tom Simpson (captain 1903-05), and Alf Kewney (captain 1906-08 and 1910-11);
- a British Lion, George Lee (captain 1895-96);
- an RFU. President, Sir Lawrie Edwards (captain 1922-24);
- and two Northumberland RFU. Presidents, E.C. Craven (captain 1954-55 and 1956-57) and Noel Mather (captain 1996-2001).
Number 8 Niall becomes the 67th player to be handed the Men’s First team captaincy in the club’s 139 year history and takes over from last year’s holder Sam Train.
Without doubt he will lead the team by example, being an extremely hard and robust player who leaves everything out on the pitch during games.
Caitlin continues into her second season at the helm of the Roses and will looking to build upon her highly successful first year in office which saw her lead the Roses through an unbeaten Women’s NC3 North (North) League campaign, winning the title as well as gaining promotion to a higher level for the coming season.
She becomes the third player in the club’s history to lead the Roses following Ann Rawlinson (2022-23) and Jenna Hall (2023-25).
Both Niall and Caitlin are highly popular choices to lead their respective teams in the coming season, both amongst their peers and across the wider club, and the History Society wishes them, and their teams, the very best of luck in their roles.
For the sake of completeness, apart from E.W. Taylor, A.L. Kewney and E.C. Craven, three other individuals have captained Rockcliff on two separate occasions in its history :-
Charlie Stratford 1912-14 and 1919-20;
Richard (‘Dick) Cransford 1935-37 and 1946-48;
and Matty Wylie 1988-89 and 1990-91.
From the Rockcliff History Society FB Page
Whitley Bay Rockcliff RFC. have announced their two senior captains for the upcoming 2026/27 season.
As previously reported, leading the Men’s First Team will be Niall Stokes and now we can confirm that leading the Roses will be Caitlin McVeigh.
Niall and Caitlin follow in prestigious and historic footsteps as previous holders of this title have included :-
- an England captain, E.W. Taylor, who captained the club from 1892-95 and from 1897-99 (becoming the first person to hold the office on two separate occasions);
- three England internationals, Stan Anderson (captain 1899-1902), Tom Simpson (captain 1903-05), and Alf Kewney (captain 1906-08 and 1910-11);
- a British Lion, George Lee (captain 1895-96);
- an RFU. President, Sir Lawrie Edwards (captain 1922-24);
- and two Northumberland RFU. Presidents, E.C. Craven (captain 1954-55 and 1956-57) and Noel Mather (captain 1996-2001).
Number 8 Niall becomes the 67th player to be handed the Men’s First team captaincy in the club’s 139 year history and takes over from last year’s holder Sam Train.
Without doubt he will lead the team by example, being an extremely hard and robust player who leaves everything out on the pitch during games.
Caitlin continues into her second season at the helm of the Roses and will looking to build upon her highly successful first year in office which saw her lead the Roses through an unbeaten Women’s NC3 North (North) League campaign, winning the title as well as gaining promotion to a higher level for the coming season.
She becomes the third player in the club’s history to lead the Roses following Ann Rawlinson (2022-23) and Jenna Hall (2023-25).
Both Niall and Caitlin are highly popular choices to lead their respective teams in the coming season, both amongst their peers and across the wider club, and the History Society wishes them, and their teams, the very best of luck in their roles.
For the sake of completeness, apart from E.W. Taylor, A.L. Kewney and E.C. Craven, three other individuals have captained Rockcliff on two separate occasions in its history :-
Charlie Stratford 1912-14 and 1919-20;
Richard (‘Dick) Cransford 1935-37 and 1946-48;
and Matty Wylie 1988-89 and 1990-91.
From the Rockcliff History Society FB Page
