Soaring into history: welcome, Newcastle Eagles!

The 2025 finalists – Newcastle Eagles – return to play in the European North Basketball league.

“We are delighted to be returning to ENBL for the third consecutive season,” said head coach Marc Steutel.

“Our sustained participation in the competition is a huge plus for our club and British basketball on the whole.”

“We have learned and developed each year in the competition,” Steutel added. “And we`re exceptionally excited to be competing against teams from all over Europe once again.”

“This year`s team is focused on doing all we can both domestically and in the ENBL, and we cannot wait to get started.”

Season five marks the first time in ENBL history when all Final Four teams return to competition.

Newcastle Eagles offer a perfect example on how to work and thrive on international level.

Tyneside boys qualified for the 2024 playoffs.

Their series against the 2024 champions – Bakken Bears – went down to the wire.

The Eagles returned bolder and stronger, qualified for the playoffs again and eventually made it to the Final Four after another best-of-two series against the Danish champions.

Freak City – basketball crazy Bamberg – was expected destination but sensational Dziki Warszawa eliminated nine time German champions and Bratislava hosted the big event instead.

Newcastle Eagles defeated Dziki Warszawa and stormed into the 2025 final.

To make a final in an 18 team competition is an impressive feat by itself – hats off to Marc Steutel and his men.

They fell at the hands of Ainars Bagatskis and back-to-back ENBL finalists, CSO Voluntari, but they did great things for Newcastle, their fans, Super League basketball and British basketball.

Newcastle Eagles won the 2025 Super League Basketball Trophy at Birmingham and reached the 2025 Super League finals.

Mister 28 – Darius Defoe – added the 28^th trophy to his impressive resume.

Soaring into history: from Newcastle to a European Final Four is a brand new documentary presented by Super League Basketball, available on YouTube and DAZN Sports from July 14.

Watch it HERE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcJD75KQXfo

The 2023-2024 campaign was the Eagles first European experience in 33 years – they faced Thessaloniki PAOK from Greece in the 1990-1991 European Cup Winner`s Cup, then as the Sunderland Saints.

This year they may face another team from Thessaloniki as Iraklis B.C. joined the competition on July 31.

The franchise was founded in 1973 in Newcastle upon Tyne’s neighbouring city of Sunderland.

Sunderland made back-to-back appearances in the British Basketball League`s final in 1990 and 1991, falling twice against the Guildford Kings.

Following a move to Tyneside and becoming the Newcastle Eagles, the club won its first honour with the BBL Trophy in 2005 under legendary former head coach Fab Flournoy, later assistant coach at the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers.

That victory tipped-off Newcastle’s two decades of silverware success as they added a first BBL Championship title to the in-season Trophy win, when they defeated the Chester Jets in the 2005 title game, 78-75.

They registered the third three-peat in BBL history in 2007, after two consecutive successes against the Scottish Rocks – now known as the Caledonia Gladiators – in a game held in the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle.

The Eagles have added four more BBL titles in 2009, 2012, 2015 and, most recently, in 2021.

Their trophy case includes six BBL Cups, won in 2006, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2021.

There is another in-season competition, known as the BBL Trophy, that the Eagles have lifted eight times.

They posted two consecutive wins in 2005-2006 and 2009-2010, followed by another four triumphs in 2012, 2015, 2020 and 2025.

Newcastle won a sweep of all four British competitions three times in their history.

The total of 28 trophies put the Eagles right at the top of the honours list for our sport in the UK.

Newcastle captain Darius Defoe a year ago celebrated 20 seasons at the club where he became the most-decorated player in the history of British basketball having played for the Eagles in all their years of success.

The Eagles play at the Vertu Motors Arena which opened its doors in January 2019 and has a 2,800 capacity for the basketball games.

Marc Steutel is also the head coach of the Great Britain’s men’s national team who played their last seven EuroBasket and World Cup Qualifier home games on Newcastle’s court.

A solid home market, a growing club scene and proximity to major European markets make the UK an attractive European basketball destination.

Location also plays a part – the Baltic Sea and the North Sea region has been sometimes called as the Northern Mediterranean – an area with strong maritime and trade traditions.

This year three British clubs will play in the ENBL as Manchester Basketball entered the playing field for the first time, while Bristol Flyers are playing from 2023.

Newcastle International Airport (NCL) is the busiest airport in the North East England.

Club`s website www.newcastle-eagles.com .