Meet the big sports captains at Newcastle University

Newcastle is up there for sport, boasting over 60 successful sports teams who all regularly compete against other universities and come out on top.

But with every good team comes a strong captain. We caught up with some of Newcastle's 2018-2019 sports captains to get to know them a little bit better.

American Football

Jacob Layfield, fourth year, Dentistry

Where do you live?: Jesmond

What are you currently lifting in the gym?: I can bench my girlfriend, I'll take that

What is your favourite Newcastle night out?: Tiger Wednesdays, obviously

Tell us something others wont know about you: I can put on quite an impressive display with a diabolo

How long have you been playing American Football?: This is my fourth year playing

Do you have any pre-match rituals?: Pasta, DMX and eye black

Men's Lacrosse

Patrick Kearney, Masters, International Marketing

Where do you live?: Jesmond

What are you currently lifting in the gym?: 85kg bench, 120kg squat

What is your favourite Newcastle night out?: Sports night, so it depends where our social secs take us

Tell us something others wont know about you: I was born in Japan and grew up in South Africa

How long have you been playing lacrosse?: Three and a half years

Do you have any pre-match rituals?: I listen to the same three songs before every game: House of Wolves (Bring Me The Horizon), Smile Back (Mac Miller) and Bite My Tongue (You Me At Six)

Men's Hockey

Will Dodd-More, third year, Agriculture

Where do you live?: Jesmond

What are you currently lifting in the gym?: Pints

What is your favourite Newcastle night out?: Gotta be Monday night Trop with the freshers

Tell us something others wont know about you: Everyone already knows everything

How long have you been playing hockey?: Since I was seven

Do you have any pre-match rituals?: I like to touch my teams mates before we play

Women's Lacrosse

Bella Austin, second year, Geography and French

Where do you live?: Jesmond

What are you currently lifting in the gym?: 55kg

What is your favourite Newcastle night out?: Got to be a lax social at Tup, closely followed by a Friday night Feral

How long have you been playing lacrosse?: Been playing lacrosse since I was 12

Do you have any pre-match rituals?: Two bags of Haribo for the team at half time and chant of "no dropped balls" before we get on the field.

Women's Rugby

Esther Crompton, fifth year, Immunibiology and Daphne De Craecker, fourth year, Modern Languages Translation and Interpretation

Daphne

Where do you live?: West Jesmond

What are you currently lifting in the gym? squat – 65kg, deadlift – 50kg

What is your favourite Newcastle night out?: Wednesdays as that is our club social, but I enjoy Flares probably more than I should

Tell us something others wont know about you: I was born in Belgium but have only actually lived there for about eight years of my life

How long have you been playing rugby: Four years

Do you have any pre-match rituals?: Listen to some music to pump myself up

Esther

What are you currently lifting in the gym?: Squat 70kg, deadlift 80kg

What is your favourite Newcastle night out?: Wednesdays (duh), you can’t beat a bit of Flares with your teammates

Tell us something others wont know about you: Before discovering rugby I was actually a competitive gymnast

How long have you been playing rugby?: Four years (although sadly have been out through injury last season and this season)

Do you have any pre-match rituals?: I normally step off the bus with my headphones on loud and don’t speak to anyone! Then just having a good warm up with the team

Cross Country

Sean Haycock, third year, Biochemistry

Where do you live?: Sandyford

What are you currently lifting in the gym?: Lift? Cross country runners can't lift!

What is your favourite Newcastle night out?: Has to be sport night

Tell us something others wont know about you: I can open a packet of crisps with my toes

How long have you been running: Over 12 years!

Do you have any pre-match rituals: I always re-tie my laces before heading to the start line

Rowing

James Stevenson, fourth year, MSC Accounting, Finance and Strategic Achievement

Where do you live?: Jesmond

What are you currently lifting in the gym?: Squat 40kg, benching the bar

What is your favourite Newcastle night out?: Any night that ends in Flares

Tell us something others wont know about you: Was part of World Champion Pipe Band

How long have you been rowing?: I've been rowing for just over 10 and a half years

Do you have any pre-match rituals?: Left foot forward first

Men's Football

David Robinson, second year, Economics and Business Management

Where do you live?: Jesmond

What are you currently lifting in the gym?: Squat 60kg, bench 65kg and deadlift 100kg

What is your favourite Newcastle night out?: Mile Castle then on to Soho

How long have you been playing football?: Ever since I had conscious memory

Do you have any pre-match rituals?: Left foot forward first

Cheerleading

Katherine Angwin, fifth year, Masters in Medical Education

Where do you live?: Jesmond

What are you currently lifting in the gym?: Back Squat 136.5kg , deadlift 125kg, strict press 52.5kg and Snatch 60kg. Who says girls can’t lift?!

What is your favourite Newcastle night out?: A classic Tiger Wednesdays

How long have you been cheerleading?: 5 years

Do you have any pre-match rituals?: Personally I don’t have any pre-comp rituals. As a team we always get in a big circle to get everyone motivated and hyped up for comp.