Swedish champions to visit as part of busy pre-season

NEWCASTLE Eagles will face Swedish champions Norrköping Dolphins as part of their biggest ever pre-season.

Marc Steutel’s rebooted roster will play five fixtures at the Vertu Motors Arena, the game against the Scandinavian side part of a September 16 double-header which will also see the women’s side face WBBL rivals Leicester Riders.

The Eagles, who are looking to rebound from a tough 2021-2022 BBL season, kick off pre-season with a pair of games against Surrey Scorchers on September 9 and 10.

This will then be followed up with their traditional friendly clash with USA Select on September 13.

The Dolphins then arrive on Tyneside for a Friday night clash, with Steutel’s side rounding off their pre-season programme against Sheffield Sharks the following day.

Steutel said: “We are all very much looking forward to what will be a very challenging pre-season.

“We are really pleased with how our recruitment has gone over the summer and these pre-season games provide a perfect opportunity to learn about ourselves and develop our identity heading into a very competitive BBL season.”

Norrköping entered the 2022-23 Basketball Champions League along with Leicester this summer and will prove to be high-calibre competition for a new-look Newcastle side.

Steutel added: “Firstly, to be able to welcome a club of Norkkoping Dolphins’ stature and quality will be real test for us and one we are looking forward to.

“We know the current Swedish champions will pose threats in many areas as they are preparing for Basketball Champions League qualification games and we are excited to play the game.

“We also felt it important to play some quality BBL opposition with some of our roster being new to the league so being able to play three games against Surrey and Sheffield is another huge plus for us.”

Tickets are on sale for all five dates with multi-game and season ticket holder discounts at newcastle-eagles. com/boxoffice.