EPNE’s Sports Academies enjoy successful start to 2025

Education Partnership North East (EPNE)’s Sports Academies have added to their impressive list of successes at a national level.

Across the group, which includes Sunderland College, Northumberland College and Hartlepool Sixth Form College, student athletes have won several regional 7-a-side tournaments to reach the Association of Colleges (AoC) Finals in Nottingham in April.

Hartlepool Sixth Form College triumphed in the Male Football, Male and Female Rugby and Netball competitions, while Sunderland College won the Female Football competition, which also featured Northumberland College for the first time since becoming part of EPNE.

Dr Michele Di Mascio, Head of Sports Academies, Partnerships and Wellbeing at EPNE, said: “It is great to see multiple teams from the colleges across EPNE reaching the well renowned National Championships. Our students across the region have an exciting experience to look forward to as well as aiming to achieve national success.

“We are extremely proud of all of the participants and with the College having had huge success over the last few years, it means more and more of our student-athletes are gaining national exposure.”

Other achievements for the Sports Academies include several student-athletes being nominated for the AoC Sport Awards for their efforts and achievements, while Emily Cassap and Travis Anderson from Sunderland College won ‘Sport Performer of the Year’ and ‘Achievement in Disability Sport’ awards respectively.

Further success saw Hartlepool Sixth Form’s Men’s and Women’s Rugby Academies having positive seasons in the AoC Leagues, competing against some of the best teams in the country as well as excelling in their academic studies.

The college’s Netball Academy also finished runners up in the 2024 National Championships and will be looking to build on this success.

Northumberland College has announced a long-term partnership with Morpeth Town AFC, where the most talented 16–19-year-olds will be able to join Men’s and Women’s Football Academy – a first for the region.

Significant investment in EPNE’s Sports Academies offers student-athletes the opportunity access to industry-standard performance and monitoring equipment, a strength and conditioning centre, sports science laboratory, sports massage treatment room, fully equipped gym, and multi-purpose sports hall.

For more information on EPNE’s Sports Academies, please click the links below:

Sunderland College: https://sunderlandcollege.ac.uk/sports-academies/

Northumberland College: https://northumberland.ac.uk/sports-academies/

Hartlepool Sixth Form College: https://hartlepoolsixth.ac.uk/sport-academies/