03/06/2026
Newcastle 5
Newcastle 5 handled the tournament and the entire weekend like seasoned professionals. Certainly not their first rodeo, this group of ladies took everything in their stride with grace, humour and plenty of resilience.
With the squad already depleted by a dislocated shoulder just days before the tournament, and then an appendicitis emergency on the eve of competition, some teams may have been rattled. Not Newcastle 5. Instead, they got on with the job.
When they weren't on the field, the team could be found refuelling with slices and countless bacon and egg rolls. Some even managed to squeeze in a few well-earned naps, while others bravely took on what may have been the biggest challenge of the weekend β the hotel pool.
No matter what the schedule threw at them, these ladies were always ready to take the field and somehow always managed to make it to the Nutbush warm-up on time, with no obvious signs of a barbecue lunch down the front of the uniform.
Grass, turf, whatever the surface, Newcastle 5 handled it. Sure, some games were better than others, but that's just the way the cookie β or in this case, the slice β crumbles.
A huge congratulations goes to Liz Lambert, who was a thoroughly deserving recipient of the Mavis Randle Players' Player Award. Liz seemed to be everywhere all weekend. In fact, we're fairly certain she played just about every position on the field at some stage, doing whatever was required for the team and doing it exceptionally well.
Go Liz, and well done to all the Newcastle 55s ladies on a fantastic tournament! ππ₯π°π Sometimes the best teams aren't measured by the scoreboard alone, but by the stories, friendships and laughs they create along the way. Newcastle 5 certainly ticked all those boxes.