Scholars to seek sporting honours

and support of the university sport programme and I am sure it will only get better with the new sports facilities.”

He added: “I came to study to Newcastle University firstly for the academics.

“Secondly, I knew other kayakers who had been through Newcastle so I knew there were good rivers not too far away as well as the Tees Barrage White Water Complex.

“Plus, I had seen some of the support they had received during their time at the university and how that had helped them to develop as athletes.”

Bennett is gearing up for the BUCS River Race hoping to win a third gold medal in the Classic (long distance) race in as many years.

David Labossiere, from Boston, Massachusetts,

has joined the Newcastle Knights basketball team.

The combo guard will balance playing for the first team with studying on a postgraduate International Business Management programme at the Newcastle University Business School.

He said: “My experience with Newcastle Knights is going very well and we are off to a great start for the season.

“It has been a great experience so far with Newcastle sport.

“What I enjoy the most is playing with people from different backgrounds and cultures.

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience playing basketball and studying in another country.

“The academics and athletics were a key part of coming to Newcastle, but what attracted me the most was I wanted to have a great social experience while being in another country and heard nothing but great things about Newcastle University and the city.

“I am looking forward to the play-offs. This year we have really great potential to do something big.”

Last year, Newcastle University finished ninth out of 160 institutions in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) table, scoring 2,542 points, 1,350 league points and 1,192 points through individual, knockout and cup competitions.

This was a fourth successive top-10 finish and Newcastle’s highest BUCS points total