The cold nights of February seem a long time ago as the Senior squad went through their preparations in the watery sunlight of Benfield. As dusk turned into night the Senior squad got down to building a foundation for success in the upcoming season.

A repeat of the well deserved third place finish last year in the North East Premier is the minimum target for this quirky yet talented group. Flying the flag for North Tyneside for the past three seasons, the Eagles will have to contend with a few newcomers to the block.

Firstly, Cramlington Rockets, after storming the Conference, will be looking to get one over on their old rivals. Another team on the correct side of the Tyne is Ashington Miners, also promoted, who will be looking to score a few surprises. Our Rugby Union peers will tell you that it is always tough up there. Has the recent death of Margret Thatcher mellowed the mining community? We'll find out on the 13th of July.

So the clock ticks down to the 27th of April. With a mixture of new faces, old heads, and not to mention a few mad heads, we all look to an interesting summer.