adidas All-Stars come to campus for ultimate dodgeball
Today, to mark the launch of the new partnership between leading sportswear brand adidas and Newcastle University, adidas has assembled an elite team of athletes including: Ashes wining cricketer Stuart Broad, Olympic Gold medallist rower Helen Glover, Team GB weightlifter Zoe Smith, Durham cricketing legend Steve Harmison and British Lions star Christian Wade.
They will play dodgeball against teams of students in the heart of the University’s city centre campus. In addition to those competing, Olympic champion hepathlete Jessica Ennis- Hill will coach the teams from the side lines.
They are heading to Newcastle to celebrate the new partnership, a first for the UK, designed to give two gifted sporting students scholarships and adidas kit. It also provides funding to improve coaching and support the student Athletics Union.
Katie Rimmer, Athletics Union Officer said of the new partnership: “We’re well-known for being a good sporting university so I’m hoping our students can hold their own against this formidable opposition. They may be world-class in their own field but they aren’t world-class at dodgeball so I think we’ve got a chance.”
Professor Charles Harvey, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Humanities and Social Sciences at Newcastle University, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome such successful sports stars to our campus and I think this is a great way to mark the start of our partnership with adidas.
“Newcastle University is good at sport and the fact we have been in the top 10 of the British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) league for the past two years, demonstrates this. The partnership means we can build on this and continue to attract the most gifted and talented students.”
Nick Craggs, adidas’ Brand Director, said: “We are excited to be bringing some of adidas’ top athletes to Newcastle University and enable students to take part in a fun and inclusive sporting event against their sporting heroes. An event like this has never happened at Newcastle University, so we are delighted we can help enhance students’ experience on campus in a positive and impactful way.”
adidas is the preferred kit provider for Team Newcastle, the University’s sports clubs. The partnership has also created part-time job opportunities for students and also gives staff and students special offers on merchandise.
published on: 2nd October 2013
Key Facts:
- Newcastle University is a Russell Group University
- We rank in the top 20 of UK universities in The Sunday Times 2013 University Guide
- Amongst our peers Newcastle is:
- 5th in the UK for graduates into jobs (HESA 2011-12)
- 10th in the UK for student satisfaction
- Ranked 8th in the UK for Medical research power
- In the UK’s top 12 for research power in Science and Engineering
- 95% of our students are in a job or further training within six months of graduating
- We have a world-class reputation for research excellence and are spearheading three major societal challenges that have a significant impact on global society. These themes are: Ageing and Health, Sustainability, and Social Renewal
- Newcastle University is the first UK university to establish a fully owned international branch campus for medicine at its NUMed Campus in Malaysia which opened in 2011
- Our International students put Newcastle University in world's top 12 (ISB 2011)
