Team Northumbria lift Stan Calvert Cup for second year running

Team Northumbria has lifted the Stan Calvert Memorial Cup for the second year running – beating off stiff competition from Newcastle University in one of the UK’s largest varsity sporting events.

This year’s win marks a significant achievement for Team Northumbria, the competitive sports arm of Northumbria University, having retained the cup for two consecutive years for the first time since Stan Calvert began in 1994. Going head to head with Newcastle in 26 sports, Northumbria triumphed with a final score of 75.5 to Newcastle’s 48.5.

The annual Stan Calvert Cup, a major highlight in the University sporting calendar, concluded at Northumbria’s very own flagship £30m Sport Central on Sunday 1 March. However, the Cup belonged to Northumbria before the final game had even started due to their considerable points lead, making it impossible for Newcastle to catch up.

This year’s win builds on Northumbria’s reputation as being among the best sport universities in the country, as voted for by students (Which? University Guide 2013). It ranked 8th in the 2014 BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) league and secured the title of Most Improved University for Sport at the BUCS awards ceremony last July.

Prior to winning Stan Calvert in 2014, Newcastle had held the Cup for six years. Now firmly in the grasp of Team Northumbria for the second year running, Colin Stromsoy, Head of Sport at Northumbria is delighted with the team’s continued success. He said: “We’ve put an enormous amount of hard work into this and it’s easy to forget that just three years ago, we lost the Cup by 50 points.

“Team Northumbria showed passion, enthusiasm and a sense of purpose right from the first fixture and that’s very hard to beat. And that’s why we’ve got the result we’ve got today.

“Northumbria University is now in the top ten nationally for performance sport. We have transformed our student sport offer and our ambitious plans aim to see the University globally recognised for student sport at all levels spanning performance, participation, volunteering, development, media and events.”

The cup was presented to Adam Barr, Northumbria’s Student Sports President after the final game at Sport Central. He said: “I was actually driving when it was announced that we had won, and it wasn’t until I pulled in at Coach Lane for the hockey where everyone was cheering and jumping around me that I realised. It’s fully deserved and the student spectators have shown so much support for every game. It proves how much people who play their own sports get behind everyone else.”

Updates were provided on the University’s dedicated sport website and on Twitter by Team Northumbria’s student media team.

To read all the match reports and find out more, visit www.nusportcentral.com.