Newcastle Thunder awarded RFL Championship place by independent panel
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Newcastle Thunder have been promoted to the Rugby Football League's Championship, after their submission was chosen by an independent panel.
Thunder will replace the club selected to take up the now defunct Toronto's spot in Super League, one of six second-tier sides that applied.
They missed out on promotion via the play-offs in 2019, losing to Oldham.
"Newcastle Thunder was the unanimous choice for the panel," chair Air Commodore Dean Andrew said.
Super League will reveal the identity of their 12th club, replacing the Wolfpack, on Monday.
Andrew continued: "Thunder's coaching set-up and facilities are superb; its community outreach is well-established and growing.
"Newcastle and the north east has considerable future growth potential, backed by its owner - as has already been recognised by the decision to play the Super League Magic Weekend at St James' Park for a fifth time in 2021, and also by Rugby League World Cup 2021 with five fixtures to be played in the region including the tournament opener in Newcastle.
"The club has a clearly-stated aspiration of Super League success this decade. Overall the panel thought its application most closely matched the vision of the RFL's Strategy Reset."
Andrew, a former RFL president, praised all five bids for their "aspiration and ambition".
It is the first time Thunder, who saw off five other League One sides in their application, will play in the division since 2009.
Back in their guise of Gateshead Thunder in their last stint, Steve McCormack led the club on a 'great escape', avoiding relegation on the final day at Doncaster, after excellent wins against Leigh, Barrow, Toulouse and Widnes toward the back end of the year.
However, in the off-season the then Thunder owners withdrew and wound-up the club's holding company, a move which brought relegation and earned Leigh a reprieve.
Much has changed at the club since, after the shareholders approved a move to Newcastle and link up with the Falcons union club.
Thunder has worked hard to help community clubs from Alnwick in Northumberland down to Yarm on Teesside to grow, all part of their supporting evidence, while community officers have also introduced rugby league to north east schools as part of other outreach work.