The passion behind Team Newcastle

Team Newcastle is one of the largest and most thriving student communities here on campus. It is comprised of the 64 sports clubs, including competitive and social teams; the course-based intermural clubs; the members of the university gym; and the fans and spectators of the various teams.

“The fact that the responsibility for the clubs lies with students is the best thing,” says Alex Duggan, the sports officer at Newcastle University Students Union and one of the central figures in Team Newcastle. “It’s like a family culture that you wouldn’t have if it was someone else in charge. Obviously, they have support from staff and myself to help guide them, but at the end of the day, it sits with the students on how they want their clubs to look.”

The Team have started off strong in this year’s BUCS League and Cup. The women’s basketball team and women’s rugby union are currently unbeaten in their leagues, whilst positive results for the women’s squash and men’s fencing teams have been highlights of the season so far. In terms of North East universities, Newcastle are currently leading the charge over Northumbria, Durham and Sunderland.

This doesn’t come as a huge surprise, considering Newcastle University has a strong reputation for its sporting prowess. For the last decade, it has retained its spot in the BUCS Top 10 standings, finishing in 8^th last year.

“The ranking keeps the university accountable,” says Alex. “If we do slip off the top 10, it can affect the overall Team Newcastle community, and maybe the programme itself might start to slip, so it’s nice to keep us accountable. I’m proud of it, and I hope we can stay in it.”

Alex’s passion for Team Newcastle goes far and beyond the BUCS ranking. She is committed to listening to feedback on committee training, tackling the issues surrounding locker-room culture, spotlighting more niche sports on social media, distributing fair grants to clubs, and connecting with the university’s alumni.

In terms of getting involved with Team Newcastle, as a participant or a spectator, Alex advises to follow @nclsport and @nusu_sports on Instagram for fixture updates and insights into the different sports clubs.

“If you’re free, especially if you’re on campus, heading into the sports centre is nice just to see everything in action,” she says. “If you just want to try something new, you could go along to the clubs’ taster sessions or the Students Union’s ‘Give it a Go’ programme. If there’s anything that you’re interested in, just go along to it.”