30/08/2026
Match Report by Forwards Coach, Jack Bennett.
Pre-season friendly | Saturday 29 August 2026
The Blue Roses finished their pre-season campaign in style with a convincing 51–7 victory over Billingham Ladies at home.
First Half
North Shields started quickly, with Darian Hyde crossing after just 4 minutes, giving the Blue Roses an early 5–0 lead.
Billingham responded with a try in the 25th minute, followed by the conversion to briefly put the visitors ahead at 5–7.
The response from North Shields was immediate, with Ella Wile crossing in the 32nd minute to restore the Blue Roses’ lead. The conversion was unsuccessful, leaving the half-time score at:
North Shields 10–7 Billingham
Despite Billingham keeping the score close, North Shields had laid the foundations for what would become a completely different second half.
Second Half
The Blue Roses came out firing after the break.
Just 1 minute 36 seconds into the second half, Molly Glass crossed to extend the lead to 15–7.
Three minutes later, Imogen Farrell added another try, before converting her own score to make it 22–7.
North Shields continued to build pressure, with Ella Wile grabbing her second try of the afternoon in the 54th minute.
Imogen Farrell then added her second try of the match in the 61st minute, with another successful conversion shortly afterwards.
The scoring continued as Lauren Makepeace crossed in the 68th minute, followed by Emily Cramer just three minutes later.
Farrell added another conversion before Caitlin Hills rounded off the afternoon’s scoring in the 79th minute, completing a remarkable second-half showing.
Final Score
🔵 North Shields Blue Roses 51–7 Billingham Ladies 🔵
North Shields scorers:
* Darian Hyde — 1 try
* Ella Wile — 2 tries
* Molly Glass — 1 try
* Imogen Farrell — 2 tries, 3 conversions
* Lauren Makepeace — 1 try
* Emily Cramer — 1 try
* Caitlin Hills — 1 try
Billingham: 1 try, 1 conversion
The Takeaway
The scoreline tells the story of a game that changed dramatically after the break. North Shields went from leading by just three points at half-time to putting 41 points on the board without reply in the second half.
The biggest positive will be the team’s ability to maintain intensity and build momentum as the game progressed. With nine tries shared across the squad, there were plenty of attacking threats and contributions across the team.
A fantastic way to finish pre-season — 51–7 and plenty to build on.
