Tait pens Falcons deal

England back Mathew Tait has signed a new one-year contract at Newcastle Falcons, tying him to the Guinness Premiership club until 2009.

The 22-year-old, who was England’s best player in last year’s World Cup final, made his debut for the Falcons at 18 and has scored 23 tries in 73 starts.

Director of rugby John Fletcher said: “Mathew is among the most gifted young players in the world, and the fact that he sees his future at Newcastle Falcons is further endorsement of what we are doing here and the level of ambition currently at the club.

“It is no secret that a number of other top teams were keen on signing Mathew, but he is a vital part of our jigsaw and is fully buying in to what we are doing here at the moment.”