The event which takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend comprises a golf day and rugby dinner on the Saturday 26th followed by the game on Sunday 27th at West Hartlepool’s ground at Brinkburn.

Fund raising will be on behalf of the Rugby charity the Wooden Spoon, and the dinner and game will also be a tribute to Brett Cullinane, a New Zealand prop who has been at West since their days in the top division, staying with the club throughout their financial problems and inevitable spiral down the leagues.

The event will not be Wooden Spoon’s first rugby related fund raising in the region. As reported in the Spoonews, the Northumberland committee under the chairmanship of Danny Hodgeson, have moved onto new projects after their fantastic efforts leading to the opening of the new indoor sports centre at the Percy Hedley Foundation which is dedicated to children and young people with physical disabilities. Their latest project will provide 15 rugby clubs in the region with wheelchair facilities, clubs applied to receive this funding and all have agreed that at the opening of the new facilities over the next eighteen months, they dedicate the day to fund raising for the Spoon.

The SpoonAAs team for the West Hartlepool game is being organised by former West flanker Shaun Cassidy and includes besides both the captains of two other Hartlepool sides , Stewart Hind (Old Boys) and Mark Power (Rovers) a number of returning West Old players and several players with top class experience.

Kevin Westgarth who will captain the side, and will take the field will other North East legends, Colin White (England), John Dixon (ex-West and North), and Alan Brown (ex- West & North). In addition to Cassidy himself, former premiership players Jon Eagle (Harlequins), Craig Emmerson (West and Gloucester), Craig Lee and Jamie Connolly (both West), Jon Swarbrigg and Phil Griffin (both Leeds Tykes) will play..