The Newcastle Vikings are an American Football team based in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, they compete in the BAFA National Leagues Premiership North, the top level of British American football. They play at Druid Park and were formed in 2014 as the Newcastle Vikings . The Vikings entered the League in 2015 and after early success and a promotion they went on to lose in 2017 Division 1 Play-offs, shortly afterwards they announced that they had merged with BAFA Division 2 side Northumberland Lightning(formed in 2012). The new Vikings adopted the Northumberland title but retained their original colours, logo and continued to operate from Newcastle with the Lightning vacating their base at Ashington to absorb into the Vikings setup in Newcastle. In 2024 the team returned to the title Newcastle Vikings.
In the summer of 2014, they announced a partnership with the nearby Northumbria University's American Football team, the Mustangs, which saw a number of Viking coaches join the Mustang staff.[2]
They were accepted into the league in 2015, and were placed in the newly formed BAFANL Division Two NFC North.[3] The Vikings played divisional rivals the Glasgow Tigers in their first competitive match, coming away with a comprehensive 46-8 win.[4]
Following the 2017 season in which the Vikings were beaten in the Division 1 play-offs, they announced that the club had merged with Division 2 side the Northumberland Lightning and that the club would be known as the "Northumberland Vikings" from the start of the 2018 season.[5]
In 2023, the Vikings ran an undefeated regular season earning a bye-week in the first round of the playoffs. After a decisive victory at home against the Chester Romans they hosted the Nottingham Caesars at home for the Division 1 North Final. Down narrowly at the half, the Vikings were able to overcome the deficit and claim victory and promotion into the Northern Premiership for the 2024 season.
In 2014, the Vikings launched a schools programme which has attracted over 250 cadet level players, while five youth teams were either formed or joined the Vikings' satellite programme this year. The North Durham Knights, Darlington Steam, Cramlington Phoenix, Washington Predators and the Team Valley Cavaliers have all played at least one fixture internally and provided players for the Vikings BAFANL Youth team.[7]
