Two more seasons for hooker Ollie Fletcher

Homegrown hooker Ollie Fletcher has signed up for another two seasons with Newcastle Falcons. The 20-year-old has made eight first-team appearances for his home-town club, including 43 minutes from the bench when a 14-man Falcons side defeated Gloucester in their most recent Gallagher Premiership outing.    

Capped by England Under-20s, Fletcher played his junior rugby with Tynedale RFC and Newcastle School for Boys, coming through the Falcons’ academy system before signing senior academy terms in the summer of 2021.

“It’s exciting to have signed this new contract and to be staying with the Falcons for another two years,” said Fletcher, whose father John is a former Falcons director of rugby.

“I’ve been working with great coaches and players all the way through here, and in terms of my own peer group we’ve got some fantastic young talent coming through.

“I’ve had some more game time recently due to injuries elsewhere in the squad, but it’s been really good and I’ve enjoyed being out there. Playing against people you’ve watched on TV for years can be a bit strange at first but I’m enjoying the experience, and I’m just keen to keep learning and improving with every chance that I get.

“I want to use these next two years to keep developing my game and keep going on an upward trajectory, grasping every opportunity. I’m also doing a psychology degree at Newcastle University which keeps my mind off rugby, and it’s an interesting area to be involved with.”

Newcastle Falcons’ interim head coach Mark Laycock said: “I’m delighted that Ollie has put pen to paper to stay with us for another couple of seasons.

“He’s an exceptionally talented....... click that link there [the dots] to read the rest of the story on the official page