Tries, Toon, and Teammates: The Wandering Peacocks’ Epic Great North Wander to Newcastle
Croydon Wanderers RFC Walking Rugby Team 'Wandering Peacocks' with Wallsend RFC event organiser, Angela at Newcastle Foundation Day and Walking Rugby Festival May/June 2026
Croydon Wanderers RFC Walking Rugby team, ‘The Wandering Peacocks’, decided they needed a dose of Northern culture, so they headed off on tour to Newcastle for the Wallsend Walking Rugby Festival.
Friday Night: Culture, Carbs, and Local Institution Uno’s
Most of the team arrived on Friday afternoon, although our secret weapon, Chris C, got there a day early to fully immerse himself in the local culture.
A few of us dashed off to explore the historic Roman remains at Wallsend before meeting up with local team members Sophie and Ethan, along with former Croydon player Phil. The evening began with a pub crawl starting at St James’ Park and the world-famous Strawberry Pub. Sophie, now a proud local, expertly guided us down towards the Quayside. Everywhere we went, the locals were incredibly friendly and keen to find out what the Croydon Wanderers were doing in Newcastle.
Eventually, we made it to the local institution, Uno’s. Despite nearly losing Mr Collcutt along the way and being delayed by yet more friendly conversations, we enjoyed a fantastic meal of pizza, beer, and wine. The evening continued at the Head of Steam, where we sampled some excellent local ales and refreshments. With important business ahead of us the following day, we eventually called it a night and headed off for some much-needed rest.
Festival Time: Sun, Stadium Tours, and Rookie Tries
Saturday morning saw us fuelled by breakfast before taking the Metro to Kingston Park, home of Newcastle Red Bulls and host venue for the Newcastle Foundation Day and Walking Rugby Festival. While some members of the team made a quick dash for supplies, the rest of us enjoyed the glorious sunshine.
The festival was organised by the wonderful Angela from Wallsend RFC, who made us feel incredibly welcome from the moment we arrived. She introduced us to teams from York RFC and Pocklington RFC, as well as Wallsend’s own two friendly sides. After a tour of the stadium, we assembled a team made up of our regular players, joined by Alex and Ethan, who were completely new to rugby, and Phil, who had retired years ago and had never tried the walking version of the game.
We played against all four visiting sides, rotating teams throughout the day. Alex and Ethan learned quickly, both scoring their first tries, while Phil soon discovered that resisting the urge to tackle and settling for a two-handed touch takes a little adjustment! The final game against Wallsend was an absolute joy, with players from both sides spending as much time laughing as they did playing.
While some players scored tries and others collected a bit too much sunshine, those nursing sore legs and shoulders were fortunate enough to receive first-class treatment from trainee physiotherapists from Newcastle College. Their help was very much appreciated and worked wonders.
Croydon Wanderers RFC Walking Rugby Team receive treatment from trainee physiotherapists from Newcastle College
Premiership Action and a Close Encounter with Brian O’Driscoll
After the festival, we enjoyed a few more refreshments before the stadium opened, where complimentary food and a much-needed cold drink awaited us. The free tickets to watch Newcastle Red Bulls take on Sale in the Premiership were an added bonus. However, with Newcastle’s recent home form and two early Sale tries inside the opening ten minutes, things were not looking promising for our hosts.
At half-time, though, came an unexpected highlight. Angela invited the Croydon Wandering Peacocks to join Wallsend RFC for a walking rugby demonstration match on the main pitch in front of the crowd. Even Brian O’Driscoll appeared fascinated enough to wander over and watch, although we were far too focused on our own performance to properly appreciate it at the time! We did, however, make it onto the Newcastle Foundation Day video.
Grand Finales and Fan-Girling with Christian Wade
The second half of the Premiership match became increasingly exciting as Newcastle fought their way back into the contest. The game reached a dramatic climax when Newcastle scored a breakaway try after the 80th minute, touching down beneath the posts to secure victory and send the home crowd wild.
Long after many spectators had left, we stayed in the stadium enjoying the live 90s disco. One enthusiastic dancer turned out to be one of the friendly locals who had stopped to chat with the team on the journey to the ground. Pitchside afterwards, several Newcastle players were happily talking to supporters. Sophie was delighted to get a photo with Tom Christie, while Alex and Chris enjoyed chatting with and getting photos alongside Christian Wade. Fan-girling at its finest!
A Stronger Squad and Lifelong Memories: See You Next Year, Newcastle!
After taking the Metro back to the hotel for one final drink, the team effectively took over the bar. Despite the occasional EastEnders-style drama unfolding from a nearby wedding reception, the evening was full of laughter, stories old and new, and plenty of memorable moments.
While many of us knew each other before the trip, by the end of the weekend, we felt even more like one team. It was a hugely successful tour, made even better by the wonderful people we met along the way.
See you next year, Newcastle!
Edward Pattison
Wandering Peacocks
Croydon Wanderers RFC
Want to join the flock?
The Croydon Wanderers Walking Rugby team is always ready to welcome new faces, regardless of your fitness level, age, or rugby experience. Whether you're a retired player looking to get back into the game or a complete rookie wanting to try something new, we’d love to have you.
Check out our Walking Rugby page here to find out how you can come along and try out a session!