Team Northumbria is an English netball team based at Northumbria University. Between 2001 and 2005 they played in the Super Cup as Northern Flames. They also played as Team Northumbria Flames. Between 2005–06 and

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

, their senior team played in the

Netball Superleague The Netball Super League is a top level netball league featuring teams from the United Kingdom. The league is organised by England Netball but features teams based in England, Wales and Scotland. The league was commenced playing at the 2005–06 ...

. The netball team is one of several sports teams based at Northumbria University that use the Team Northumbria brand name. Others include an

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

team and a

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team. In 2018 Northumbria University announced it was withdrawing seven of its national league sports teams due to cuts to its elite sport programme. This included Team Northumbria withdrawing from the Netball Superleague.

History

Northern Flames

Between 2001 and 2005, Northern Flames, together with five other franchises – London Hurricanes,

London Tornadoes The AENA Super Cup was the top level netball league featuring teams from England between 2001 and 2005. The league was organised by the All England Netball Association. Its main sponsor was Fisher & Paykel and, as a result, it was also known ...

, Team Bath Force, University of Birmingham Blaze and Northern Thunder – competed in the Super Cup. By 2005 Northern Flames had become Team Northumbria Flames.

Early Superleague seasons

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

Team Northumbria were named as the

North East England North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region; combined authority, unitary authorit ...

franchise in the new

. Together with

Brunel Hurricanes Surrey Storm is an English netball team based at the University of Surrey. Their senior team plays in the Netball Superleague. Between 2001 and 2005 they played in the Super Cup as London Hurricanes. After forming a partnership with Brunel U ...

Celtic Dragons Celtic Dragons are a Welsh netball team based in Cardiff. Their senior team plays in the Netball Superleague. In 2005–06 they were founder members of the league. Their best performance in the Superleague came in 2013 when they finished as r ...

Leeds Carnegie Leeds Carnegie was a brand name used by several sports teams associated with the Carnegie School of Physical Education, now part of Leeds Beckett University. These include: Current * Leeds Carnegie Handball Club Changed name * Leeds Carnegie ...

Galleria Mavericks Saracens Mavericks is an English netball team based at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield. Their senior team plays in the Netball Superleague. In 2005–06 they were founder members of the league. They were Superleague champions in ...

, Northern Thunder, Loughborough Lightning and

Team Bath TeamBath is the University of Bath's sporting organisation. In addition to entering teams in BUCS intervarsity competitions, TeamBath has also entered teams in national leagues and competitions. Team Bath F.C. reached the first round proper of t ...

, Team Northumbria were founder members of the league. Team Northumbria's best performance in the Netball Superleague came in 2007–08 when, with a team that included

Megan Hutton Megan Hutton (born 26 March 1976 in Christchurch, New Zealand) is a New Zealand retired netball player. Hutton normally plays in the goal keeper position. She also played basketball for Southland. Hutton debuted in the Coca-Cola Cup (later the ...

, they finished second during the regular season, behind Loughborough Lightning, and qualified for the play-offs. Future England national netball team manager,

Tracey Neville Tracey Anne Neville (born 21 January 1977) is a former England netball international and a former England head coach. As a player, she was a member of the England teams that won bronze medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 1999 Worl ...

began her senior coaching career with Team Northumbria when she served as head coach for the 2011 Netball Superleague season.

Northern Ireland

As part of their preparations for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the

Northern Ireland national netball team The Northern Ireland national netball team represent Northern Ireland in international netball tournaments such as the Netball World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, the European Netball Championship and the Nations Cup. The team was founded in 1 ...

formed a partnership with Team Northumbria. This saw seven Northern Ireland internationals – Oonagh McCullough,

Fionnuala Toner Fionnuala Toner (born 6 March 1990) is a Northern Ireland netball international. She represented Northern Ireland at the 2011 and 2019 Netball World Cups and at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. She was also a member of the Northern Irela ...

Caroline O'Hanlon Caroline O'Hanlon is a Northern Ireland netball international and an Armagh ladies' Gaelic footballer. She has also represented Ireland at international rules. She was a member of the Northern Ireland teams at the 2003, 2011 and 2019 Netba ...

, Gemma Gibney,

Michelle Drayne Michelle Drayne (born 22 September 1988) is a Northern Ireland netball international and a former Antrim ladies' Gaelic footballer. She represented Northern Ireland at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and at the 2019 Netball World Cup. She ...

Noleen Lennon Noleen Lennon (born 22 March 1984), also known as Noleen Armstrong, is a former Northern Ireland netball international. She represented Northern Ireland at the 2003, 2011 and 2019 Netball World Cups and at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Game ...

and Niamh Cooper – play for Team Northumbria during the 2014 Netball Superleague season. With Kate Carpenter taking charge of both teams, Northern Ireland and Team Northumbria also shared a coach. Toner and O'Hanlon also played for Team Northumbria during the 2015 season.

Later years

Team Northumbria competed in the inaugural 2017 British Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship. In July 2018 Northumbria University announced it was withdrawing seven of its national league sports teams due to cuts to its elite sport programme. This included Team Northumbria withdrawing from the

London Pulse London Pulse is an English netball team based at the Copper Box Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London. Since 2019 their senior team has played in the Netball Superleague. History National Performance League London Pulse was ...

would subsequently replace them for the 2019 season. In addition to playing in the Netball Superleague, Team Northumbria has also represented Northumbria University in the

Stan Calvert Cup The Stan Calvert Cup, formally known as the Stan Calvert Memorial Cup, was an annual varsity contest that took place in Newcastle upon Tyne between the universities of Newcastle University, Newcastle and Northumbria University, Northumbria origin ...

. Team Northumbria continue to enter teams in intervarsity leagues organised by

British Universities and Colleges Sport British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) is the governing body for higher education sport in the United Kingdom. BUCS was formed in June 2008 following a merger of British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) and University College Sport ...

Home venue

Northern Flames played their home games at Gateshead Leisure Centre. Team Northumbria plays its home games at Northumbria University's

Sport Central Sport Central is a multi-purpose built sports centre and events arena that is located in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It forms part of the Northumbria University campus, in the city centre. The centre houses facilities for swimmi ...

Notable former players

Internationals

; *

Ama Agbeze Ama Agbeze (born 12 November 1982) is an England netball international. She was captain when England won the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In 2019 she received an for her services to netball. She was also a member of the England ...

Leah Kennedy Leah Kennedy is an England, English netball player who has played for Team Northumbria (netball), Team Northumbria and Sirens (netball), Sirens Netball in the Netball Superleague. In 2016, Kennedy made her debut as well as earned her first te ...

; ; *

Carla Dziwoki Carla Dziwoki (born 29 August 1982) is a former Australian netball player. Dziwoki played with the Queensland Firebirds in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. She played for Team Northumbria in the 2008–09 Netball Superleague for the . She also ...

; *

Shanice Beckford Shanice Beckford (born 16 April 1995) is a Jamaican netball player. She was part of the teams that won bronze at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games, and that placed fourth at the 2015 Netball World Cup The Netball World Cup Sydney 2015 (NWC ...

* Nicole Dixon ; * Belinda Colling ; *

Hayley Mulheron Hayley Mulheron (born 27 April 1986) is a Scotland netball international. She captained Scotland at the 2015 Netball World Cup. She also represented Scotland at the 2007 and 2019 Netball World Cups and at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. ...

Head coaches

References

External links

Team Northumbria on Twitter
{{Netball Superleague Netball teams in England Defunct Netball Superleague teams

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...