Stan Calvert is here!! I think it’s safe to say, I’ve been eagerly awaiting this event all year, and it’s finally arrived!
For those of you that don’t know, Stan Calvert is the annual sports varsity between Team Newcastle and the poly, Northumbria, and it is the biggest sporting event of the year. This year the final weekend is the 25th and 26th of February, so save the date! It’s named after the 1981 Director of Sport (Stan Calvert believe it or not), who was the first to take on the role. Team Newcastle are going head to head with Northumbria in 58 fixtures across 25 different sports, with Team Newcastle aiming to reclaim the cup.
2008 saw the start of a huge winning streak for Team Newcastle, winning the cup 6 years in a row, and with Northumbria’s track record not even close to rivalling this. But 2014 saw a change, and Northumbria managed to steal the cup, having kept it ever since. But fear not Team Newcastle, we’re heading in to the games stronger as a team than ever, and I have every confidence in everyone competing. We’re ready to give it everything we’ve got!
“Stan Calvert is the annual sports varsity between Team Newcastle and the poly, Northumbria, and it is the biggest sporting event of the year”
We’ve already kicked off Stan Calvert with the huge launch event, the basketball double header on Sunday the 5th of February. The atmosphere was mad, with the Womens game kicking off first. The amount of effort the girls put in was unbelievable! Despite an unlucky 62 – 83 loss, I can safely say that they gave it absolutely everything and fought until the last second. We had some cracking entertainment in between the Womens and Mens games, with Team Newcastle’s mascot, Rory, bringing his A-game dance moves to the court (nice try Liam Day).
The Mens game kicked off to a positive start, with a really fast pace. Like the Women, the guys couldn’t quite clinch the win, rounding off at 62-88 to Northumbria. But again, they gave it their all and made Team Newcastle proud. The support we had there was incredible, and I just hope we can carry it on throughout the whole competition.
This year we’ll be rounding off the competition on the 26th with the Futsal at Northumbria Sport Central and it’s guaranteed to be a huge game! I can’t encourage you all enough to get down and support the teams competing. It could be the deciding game in who gets to lift that glorious cup this year. There are some huge games going on that weekend including Football, Badminton, Squash, Lacrosse, and I’ll also be taking to the court and competing for Womens Tennis. Make sure you’re around to support your mates, and Team Newcastle!
I’m really excited for all the fixtures left to come and I am seriously confident that this year is our year. To everyone competing, I wish you the very best of luck and remember that you’ve got the whole University backing you. Come on Team Newcastle, let’s go!
