An innovative sport partnership focusing on health and wellbeing has signed up almost 40 students within the space of six months.

Newcastle College and Winlaton Rugby Club entered into a groundbreaking collaboration earlier this year to encourage young people to swap the couch for the pitch.

A surge in interest culminated in their first competitive fixture on Tyneside as Newcastle College hosted Hartlepool College in a hotly anticipated men’s match early in November.

“Initially it was all about participation and getting students active on a Wednesday,” explained David Lowes, Work Experience Coach at Newcastle College and Winlaton Vulcans’ club captain.

“In the space of six months we’ve got 30 lads and eight girls signed up and they are loving every minute.

“The men’s squad is developing very quickly and it was important to further that development by staging a competitive fixture.

“Fortunately, Hartlepool College have entered into a rugby partnership of their own and they’re in the same boat. They don’t have the facilities to stage their own matches and so they went looking for a partner club.

“It has worked wonders for Newcastle College and Winlaton - it has been a ‘win-win’ for both the college and the club.

“We hosted Hartlepool at Winlaton this week and we’ll be playing a return fixture down there later this year. To stage our first competitive fixture was a huge step forward. It was a historic day for Newcastle College and for the partnership.”

Lowes took over the captaincy of Winlaton RFC two years ago - at a time when the club was struggling to keep afloat. And although the regional rugby environment is still a tough place in which to operate, the club’s partnership with Newcastle College is reaping rewards on and off the pitch.

“I wanted to look at ways in which the college could encourage students to get outside and play sport,” added Lowes.

“At the same time I was trying to unlock Winlaton’s potential.

“In a very short space of time the partnership has snowballed - as well as the students playing rugby every week we have construction students working at the ground and we had another 80 learners at the club last month.

“It’s a deprived area and I want to put Winlaton RFC and its good work at the heart of the community.”

The partnership allows Newcastle College to use Winlaton’s pitches for inclusive rugby and football sessions. In return, Winlaton’s rugby players have access to the college’s sports hall for indoor training sessions and fitness work.

Students can join training sessions every Tuesday evening and access additional training with Sport and Uniformed Public Service lessons timetabled to ensure players are free to practice on a Wednesday afternoon.

“Some of my students didn’t even have a pair of shorts or any boots but the rugby club and the college have been hugely supportive in terms of giving these students a golden opportunity to get fit and have fun,” said Lowes.

“The college has donated £5,000 worth of equipment and it’s been a huge boost for Winlaton in terms of recruitment.

“Ten Newcastle College players have signed for the Vulcans now and four or five have made their first team debuts this season. They have gone from complete beginners training once or twice a week to permanent fixtures in Durham & Northumberland Division Two.

“I’ve had lads getting two buses just to make training on a Tuesday and a Thursday and there’s one player who wouldn’t leave his house before we set this up. Now he’s loving being outside, playing rugby and making friends. It’s a genuine success story.”

Now, Lowes is looking at increasing the numbers of women playing rugby at Winlaton and he has one eye on staging a first all-female inter-collegiate fixture.

“I’m talking to the Association of Colleges about establishing a women’s team,” he added. “We stage mixed games at the moment and the problem is finding other colleges with a women’s rugby programme.

“The sport is still growing as far as female students are concerned but I’m confident we can build a team.”