Game Preview: v Newcastle Vikings
Tue Jun 30 2026
Yorkshire Rams vs Newcastle Vikings
5 July 2026, 2:00pm
West Leeds RUFC, Leeds
Latest results:
- 21 June 2026: Sheffield Giants 0-35 Yorkshire Rams
- 28 June 2026: Newcastle Vikings 55-7 Chester Romans
One To Watch
#12 Elliot Jackson
One of the longest-serving names on the Rams roster, Elliot Jackson has had multiple stints in the Yorkshire backfield since arriving as the club's Rookie of the Year in 2014. Now in his seventh season, the veteran running back remains a vital part of the Rams' ground attack and a player capable of setting the tone early.
Jackson has previous pedigree against the Vikings, having been named Offensive MVP in the 24-19 home win back in 2017 and again in the 34-28 loss at Druid Park in 2018. In the 2026 season opener against Glasgow, he carried the ball on every play of the opening drive, and he scored twice against Sheffield Giants in the most recent home fixture.
With the Rams looking to avenge their only defeat of the season, expect Jackson to be heavily involved in the run game from the first series as Yorkshire look to impose themselves physically at West Leeds.
One To Watch
#27 Rich Barclay
Named MVP in the Vikings' recent outing against Aberdeen, Rich Barclay has established himself as one of the most versatile players in the Newcastle squad, contributing across all three phases of the game.
The Vikings' own MVP write-up described him as someone who "might have been the team's leading tackler and still found time to put together some huge runs on offense. Impacting the game on Special Teams and Offense." That kind of multi-phase output makes him a nightmare to game-plan for.
Whether he is running through arm tackles on offence, flying to the ball on defence or making plays in the return game, Barclay is the kind of player who can swing a tight contest — and the Rams will need to know where he is on every snap.
Image from the Newcastle Vikings
Last 5 meetings:
- 3 May 2026: Newcastle Vikings 21 - 16 Yorkshire Rams
- 6 August 2023: Newcastle Vikings 29 - 8 Yorkshire Rams
- 4 June 2023: Yorkshire Rams 6 - 23 Newcastle Vikings
- 3 July 2022: RAMS 30 - 12 Newcastle Vikings
- 5 June 2022: Newcastle Vikings 34 - 14 Yorkshire Rams
For all previous meetings, click here.
Summary
The final game of the 2026 NFC 1 North regular season brings the biggest fixture of the year to West Leeds RUFC, as the unbeaten Newcastle Vikings visit for a rematch that both sides have been circling since the first weekend of May. The Rams’ only defeat this season came at Druid Park in a 21-16 loss that ended in controversial fashion, with a late pass downfield ruled an illegal forward pass by the stand-in officials to bring an abrupt end to a potential game-winning drive. Yorkshire will not need any extra motivation to settle the score on home turf.
Since that defeat, the Rams have been relentless. Five consecutive wins — including four shutouts — have lifted them to 6-1 on the season, conceding just 7 points across those games. The offence has been devastating this season, putting up 281 points while the defence has been near-impenetrable, holding opponents scoreless in four of their seven fixtures (five, if you don’t count the safety in the first game of the season). Despite that dominant run of form, the division crown remains out of reach unless they can find a way past the team that sits above them.
Newcastle arrive in Leeds with a perfect 7-0 record and the NFC 1 North title all but sewn up. The Vikings have been equally impressive, scoring 344 points and conceding just 44. Their 55-7 demolition of Chester Romans last Saturday was the latest demonstration of a squad firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball, and they have won four of the last five meetings between the two clubs. The Rams’ last home victory in this fixture came back in July 2022, a 30-12 win that remains the only blemish on the Vikings’ recent dominance of the series.
With both teams already guaranteed a place in the NFC Playoffs, this contest is about far more than the standings. It is a chance for the Rams to prove that the result at Druid Park was not the full story, and for the Vikings to confirm that they are the team to beat heading into the post-season. Expect a hard-hitting, tightly contested affair befitting the occasion.