Newcastle Eagles will enter the European North Basketball League (ENBL) for a third consecutive season.

The club has unfinished business on the European stage after CSO Voluntari took victory in April’s 2025 ENBL Final.

Finishing as runners-up was a bittersweet moment for the club, which made history as the first men’s British basketball team to reach a major European competition’s gold medal game.


Coach Steutel and his team got all the way to the 2025 ENBL Final. (Photo: Vladimir Dornak / ENBL, Featured Image: Gary Forster)

The ENBL continues to grow heading into the 2025/26 season, with 27 clubs from 17 countries now in the running to tip-off against head coach Marc Steutel’s new-look Newcastle team.

“We are delighted to be returning to ENBL for the third consecutive season”, said coach Steutel.

“Our sustained participation in the competition is a huge plus for our club and British basketball on the whole.”


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Newcastle Eagles may have been second on the day, but became the first British men’s team to reach a major European competition final. (Photo: Vladimir Dornak / ENBL)

The Eagles and fellow returning Super League Basketball (SLB) side Bristol Flyers will be joined by Manchester Basketball, becoming a third British team to enter the competition this year.

“We have learned and developed each year in the competition”, Steutel added. “And we’re exceptionally excited to be competing against teams from all over Europe once again.

“This year’s Eagles team is focused on doing all we can both domestically and in the ENBL, and we cannot wait to get started.”

Returning Eagles player Cole Long could get another chance to face old foes and completed unfinished business in the ENBL this season. (Photo: Vladimir Dornak / ENBL)

Champions Voluntari are back to open up the possibility of a rematch for the Eagles, but both the Romanian club and Newcastle face fresh opposition from across the continent.


The first clubs to compete in the ENBL from Austria, Croatia and Greece have already been announced, with six teams yet to be revealed by the league.

Eagles, Flyers and Voluntari aren’t the only returnees as they will be joined by BC Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia), BK Opava (Czechia), Donar Groningen (Netherlands), Dziki Warsawa (Poland), Fyllingen Lions (Norway), Spartak Pleven (Bulgaria) and Valmiera Glass Via (Latvia).

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The continued quest for European silverware will be welcome news to Eagles fans who supported them at home and abroad over the last two ENBL seasons. (Photo: Abbie Orwin)

Announcements of the full line-up of teams involved for the 2025/26 season will be completed by the ENBL in the coming weeks.

The draw to see which of the 24 non-British teams Newcastle could face will take place later next month, with a full schedule of games set to be confirmed shortly afterwards.

Last month saw the release of Soaring Into History, a short film capturing the Eagles’ journey to the ENBL Final, which is available to watch for free on DAZN and YouTube.

2025/26 ENBL season and game ticketing details are due to be announced by the club next week.