Spartans Set to Face League Favourites

Sunderland Spartans get their season underway on Sunday when they face off against Sheffield Sabres.

In this fixture last season the Sabres blew the Spartans away 5-31 on their way to finishing second in the league.

With Sheffield being favourites to win the league, it’s likely that this will be the Spartan’s toughest match up of the league season.

The Spartans’ Quarterback Aaron Wall said: “Sheffield are a strong side and it’s no secret that they are the favourites to win the division this year but this is university football.

“Every year people graduate and new recruits join the team so nobody really knows how things will go until those first few plays.

“We’ve recruited some great players this year and we have a real opportunity to show how quickly everything we’ve worked on can come together.

“At least on the offense where I play, I trust that my linemen can block well, establish the run game and give me enough time in the pocket to do my thing and find my skill players all over the field.

“It will be a tough test but also an opportunity to earn the respect from the division that I believe we deserve.”

Last season was something of a rebuilding campaign for the Spartans after a tough couple of years.

Team president and one of four captains Louis Speake said: “This year feels different. Last year we treated as a rebuild and had no real expectations of competing however we ended up doing much better than we expected.

“This year though after training and playing against Northumbria it’s clear there’s a real drive in the team. The commitment of everyone is really encouraging and the difference from a couple weeks ago is night and day.”