Matt Dawson tells Viv Hardwick about his rivalry with Phil Tuffnell in the touring version of A Question of Sport, which arrives in Newcastle later this month.

FANS of TV’s A Question of Sport shouldn’t expect anything too sedate and within the usual rules when the popular show arrives at Newcastle City Hall this month. The stage format arrives complete with a referee, in addition to question-master Sue Barker and a well-used sin bin.

While you’d expect the likes of volatile footballer-cum-pundit Robbie Savage to be an occupant, it’s surprising to hear clean-cut team captain Matt Dawson freely admit that he suffered the penalty at least twice during last year’s stage tour.

“Yes, Robbie is always up to something.

Last year he tackled the referee on stage and he’s going to be a great laugh. He also ended up in the sin bin which is part of the show, but so did I a couple of times “I think it was for making remarks about Sue which proved to be rather costly. The length of time you’re in the sin bin is down to the referee, but it usually involves the number of questions you’re not allowed to answer,” he explains.

“The thing about livening things up on stage is that the producers have to find a balance between excitement and health and safety. The biggest test on the last tour was a horse racing machine and the whole aim for Phil Tuffnell (his opposing captain) and I was not to embarrass ourselves,” Dawson adds.

Are there any tactics or etiquette agreed between the two captains when they start filming or staging A Question of Sport?

“Well all the gloves are off on stage and Phil had the edge during last year’s tour. We do keep a score and I think I allowed Tuffers to run away with it. Maybe I was getting a bit tired, perhaps I can’t cope with all the late nights. I think Tuffers managed to drag me down to his level, but actually it was brilliant and we had a fabulous time,” says Dawson.

The format is similar to the popular and long-running TV series and Dawson says he particularly enjoys the crowd participation sections that have been added to liven up what happens on stage.

“There’s always someone more knowledgeable than us on the night and a lot of it is down to the referee who has to keep us in check and the ultimate boss is Sue Barker.

“There’s also a chance for us to tell a few stories and what’s gone on over the years. We talk about our favourite guests, particularly the ones who knew the most… or knew the least,” he jokes.

Dawson, who started as A Question of Sport captain in 2004, has four years advantage on Tuffers, but the scrum half, who was part of the 2003 England Rugby World Cup winning side, reckons that his ex-cricketer competitor has now become an institution.

It’s still impressive to see Dawson pick out the name of a golfer, tennis player or an athlete to grab points for his team.

“It’s all those years of watching TV sport when I wasn’t playing or training that paid off and I also played football for Chelsea schoolboys at one time.

“I think sport is part of our culture and I think it’s great to be earning money talking about something I enjoy,” he says. A Question of Sport did appear more important to him than playing at one point. He was dropped from the England squad in 2004 as a result of missing training because he’d agreed to appear on the TV show.

“I was nearing the end of my career and A Question of Sport was an enjoyable part of my life and I knew I wasn’t going to be playing over the next four or five years. So I felt that it was okay to miss the training session.

It was a difficult choice, but a year later I was on the British Lions tour to New Zealand. All I can say is that there are times you need to do what you do,” says Dawson.

AWAY from sport his chosen charity is Beating Bowel Cancer, where he’s the patron.

“I got involved because both my father and mother were diagnosed with bowel cancer and I wanted the good work of this charity to continue,” he says.

Guests for the Newcastle leg of the A Question of Sport tour include Dennis Taylor, Robbie Savage, Rory Underwood and Steve Cram on Tuesday, October 25, and Jonathan Agnew, Gary Pallister plus Taylor and Cram on Wednesday, October 26.

Dawson would prefer to have a jockey on his team most weeks because he finds horse racing questions the most tricky, followed by some areas of athletics.

“You have to learn about your Sri Lankan cricketers at all costs,” he jokes. Dawson expanded his TV work to Celebrity Masterchef in 2006 where he beat Roger Black and Hardeep Singh Kohli in the final. He almost repeated that success the same year in BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing where, partnered by Lilia Kopylova he finished second to cricketer Mark Ramprakash. He also presents BBC Radio 5-Live’s rugby show and kept up his cooking credentials with appearances on TV’s The Good Food Channel.

“Media and entertainment has become an important part of my life and I’m extremely busy at the moment with several shows to come out,” he says.

His previous A Question of Sport rival Ally McCoist opted to go back into football management at Rangers. Had Dawson considered that opportunity?

“I never really fancied rugby league management because you can’t do everything, and at the moment there isn’t time for me to do more. I think in Ally’s case it was something that he always wanted to do and he was fortunate to get it.

“When I retired I decided to have a fun year and do things like Strictly Come Dancing, but these weren’t things I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

“ I’m still keen on a healthy lifestyle, but I’ve have learnt a lot about sports broadcasting and that’s something that I’m hoping to turn into a career in future,” he says.

• A Question of Sport, Tuesday- Wednesday, October 25-26, Newcastle City Hall, 7.30pm.

Tickets: £30, £37.50. Box Office: 0191-2612606. newcastlecityhall.org