Sports and Fitness

Newcastle Eagles are the most successful British basketball team of all time. Although the club started in Sunderland, it moved north of the River Tyne in 1995. It’s now based at a purpose-built arena that’s within walking distance of the city centre. 

The team play in the European North Basketball League and Super League Basketball. The SLB is Britain’s top-tier professional basketball league for men and women.

Cricket has been played at the Osborne Avenue ground in Jesmond since 1888. Originally known as the Constabulary Ground, it’s the home of Northumberland County Cricket Club formed in 1895, and Newcastle Cricket Club. 

Over the years the Jesmond ground has welcomed international touring sides from: 

• India
• West Indies
• New Zealand
• South Africa
• Australia

West of the city centre, Benwell Hill Cricket Club at Denton Bank has an impressive history dating back 140+ years. Remarkably, during that time it’s only had 40 1st XI captains, and 11 presidents.

South Northumberland Cricket Club is another long-established club. It’s played at its Gosforth ground since 1864. 

For Test match cricket, head for Durham County Cricket’s Chester-le-Street ground. The Banks Homes Riverside is a former Ashes host.

Nicknamed ‘the Magpies’ for their iconic black and white strip, Premier League football team Newcastle United is a huge part of life in the city. 

The club has produced and celebrated some of English football’s best-loved players including: 

• local legend Jackie Milburn – ‘Wor Jackie’ 
• hometown hero Alan Shearer, the league’s all-time leading goal scorer

Statues to Milburn and Shearer stand outside the 52,000-capacity St James’ Park stadium which dominates the city skyline. A third statue celebrates manager Sir Bobby Robson. His leadership and deep love for the club made him an icon to Newcastle’s passionate ‘Toon Army’ fans.

Book a tee-off time at the City of Newcastle Golf Club or the Newcastle United Golf Club.  

Both were founded in the early 1890s and both had courses on the Town Moor. The City club relocated to nearby Gosforth in 1907, but the Newcastle United club stayed close to its roots when it moved to Nuns Moor in 1973. 

There are two more 18-hole courses at: 

• Gosforth Golf Club 
• High Gosforth Park Golf Club 

Further afield, championship courses can be found at: 

• Close House near Wylam
• Slaley Hall near Hexham 
• Burgham Park in Morpeth

Between them they’ve hosted British Masters, European Tour, European Seniors Tour, PGA Cup and Asian Tour events.

Founded in 1882, Newcastle Racecourse is based on the outskirts of the city, at the 800+ acre High Gosforth Park estate.  

One of the busiest courses in the country, it hosts over 80 all-weather and jump fixtures a year.  

Top race days include the Eider Chase which was first run in 1952. Held in February, it’s an important trial for the Grand National. June’s historic Northumberland Plate Festival was once known as the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’. It’s now treated as the North East’s own version of Royal Ascot. 

Other popular events include:

• Ladies' Day 
• student race nights featuring fairground rides, live DJ sets, entertainment and food stalls  

Newcastle is home to top level rugby union club Newcastle Red Bulls. 

The club plays in the Gallagher Premiership, the top division of English rugby union. Its ground is at Kingston Park, a convenient Metro ride from the city centre. 

Past team players include legendary fly-half Rob Andrew and Jonny Wilkinson, one of the best rugby union players of all time. Both have been inducted into World Rugby's Hall of Fame.

Hit the ground running with Parkruns, social and competitive running clubs based in the city and its suburbs. 

The Town Moor, Jesmond Dene and Leazes Park are popular spots for training and Parkrun events. The Quayside offers running routes with: 

• spectacular views of the Tyne’s seven bridges
• trendy riverside cafés if you need a pit stop

Newcastle also hosts the world’s biggest half marathon; the AJ Bell Great North Run. The event was created by North East Olympian and athletics legend, Sir Brendan Foster. 

Every year, more than 60,000 runners tackle the 13.1-mile city-to-sea route from Newcastle to South Shields. Cheering them on are 200,000 spectators, while the Red Arrows Royal Air Force aerobatic team perform a thrilling fly-past over the Tyne Bridge and the finish line.

Outdoor courts and established clubs serve up plenty of opportunities to play tennis in Newcastle. 

Closest to campus are the courts at:

• Exhibition Park
• Armstrong Park
• Paddy Freemans Park near Heaton 
• Nuns Moor Park, part of the Town Moor near Fenham

Clubs include:

• Jesmond Lawn Tennis Club which was founded in 1883 and has three all-weather courts
• health club David Lloyd Newcastle with eight indoor and outdoor courts at Jesmond
• NE1 for Tennis, a community club based at Leazes Park

Jesmond Dene Real Tennis Club is one of only 27 real tennis courts in the UK. The indoor court was built in 1894. This ‘original’ form of tennis is played with handmade, solid balls similar to cricket balls.

There are around 25 official skateparks across Tyne and Wear, but closest to campus is the one in Exhibition Park.  

A concrete park, it has a transition section of two linked bowls, with a street / freestyle section.

Northumbria University’s Sport Central pool is ideal for both beginners and advanced swimmers. Built with a movable floor to adjust the water depth, it features a 25m, six-lane pool. 

Newcastle's historic City Baths are housed in a Grade II listed building. The city-centre facilities include a pool and Victorian-style Turkish baths.  

The East End Pool in Byker offers a 25m pool. Suitable for both casual and lane swimming it also features a teaching pool.

Gosforth Leisure Centre’s pool runs lane swimming and water-based fitness sessions. There’s also a 22m pool at award-winning social enterprise Jesmond Pool & Gym, plus other pools at locations across the city.

Jonathan Edwards is regarded as one of the greatest triple-jumpers in history. His world-record 18.29-metre triple jump at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, remains unbeaten.  

He competed in the Games at:

• Atlanta (1996) when he won silver
• Sydney (2000) when he took gold

The first man to run 1500m under 3 minutes and 30 seconds was ‘Jarrow Arrow’ Steve Cram. He competed in three Games: 

• Moscow (1980)
• Los Angeles (1984) when he took silver
• Seoul (1988)

Great North Run founder, Sir Brendan Foster, competed in three Olympics:

• Munich (1972)
• Montreal (1976) when he won bronze in the 10,000m
• Moscow (1980)

One of ParalympicsGB’s most decorated para athletes is Stephen Miller. He’s won two bronze medals, a silver and three golds at five Games between 1996 and 2016. 

Alumni who have won Olympic or Paralympic honours include: 

• James Rudkin: bronze medallist, rowing, Tokyo (2020); gold medallist, rowing, Paris (2024) 
• Tom Ford: bronze medallist, rowing, Tokyo (2020); gold medallist, rowing, Paris (2024) 
• Emily Ford: bronze medallist, rowing, Paris (2024) 
• Lola Anderson: gold medallist, rowing, Paris (2024) 
• Susannah Rodgers: triple bronze medallist, para swimming, London 2012; gold and double bronze medallist, para swimming, Rio de Janeiro (2016) 
• Alistair Heathcote: silver medallist, rowing Beijing (2008) 
• Ed Coode: gold medallist, rowing, Athens (2004) 

Honourable North East Olympians

Other North East Olympians include:

• Mike McLeod: silver medallist, 10,000m, Los Angeles (1984)
• Charlie Spedding: bronze medallist, marathon, Los Angeles (1984)
• Angela Piggford: track and field, Seoul (1988)
• Jill Scott: football, London (2012), Tokyo (2020)
• Richard Kitty: sprint, Tokyo (2020), Paris (2024)