Club Founder and President, Steve Beaty snr has been given the prestigious honour of having being inducted into the North East Rugby League Hall of Fame.

At the annual ceremony in Kingston Park stadium, the best of the region's players and volunteers were recongised across a series of awards including player and coach of the year.

As the final award of the night, Jan Robinson, chair of the North East Rugby League management committee took to the stage to tell the story of how Beaty started his journey in rugby league 19 years ago.

Formed as Killingworth Rockets in 2000, guests heard the story of a man who had founded a club for his family, his three sons, and had put his heart and soul into bringing rugby league to his community.

With the club moving to Northumberland and becoming Cramlington Rockets in 2009, the famed orange-and-black wearing Rockets have grown and grown, going so far as to be named RFL Club of the Year in 2017.

Despite the transformation the club has seen since it started, Beaty remains at the heartbeat of the club.

Taking the stage and fighting back tears, a humbled Beaty said: "When I started out there was only four clubs, so to look around the room and see so many more, it's really unbelievable.

All I would say to everyone here is stay involved, keep making the effort you are doing, it really is fantastic."

Amongst the other awards on the evening, seven Rockets were shortlisted across the categories. Sadly there was not to be more silverware for the Rockets this night but one victory for Alnwick Bears' Rob Phillips in Primary Rules Volunteer of the Year was notable as Phillips is a former Rockets parent.

Full videos of the awards ceremony can be found on the Newcastle Thunder Facebook page.