Great Britain's basketball team return to Newcastle this February: Here's all you need to know including team news and ticket information

Great Britain’s basketball team are returning to the Newcastle Eagles’ Vertu Motors Arena on February 18 as they face off against Belarus in the FIBA World Cup qualifying stage.

The team last played on Tyneside in November when they beat Greece, ranked 10th in the world, 78-69, signifying the first time Great Britain had beaten the European powerhouse since 1984.

That result saw the team kickstart their qualifying campaign before a tough loss in Istanbul against a strong Turkish side. The next two fixtures in the campaign see a trip to Minsk to play Belarus on February 25 before the reverse fixture in Newcastle three days later.

Despite the loss to the hands to Turkey, Great Britain are in a historic run of form at the moment, having won 12 of their past 15 games – a run that extends all the way back to the 2018-19 season.

The squad set to play the next two fixtures was released on February 4 and is comprised mainly of experienced players who are currently based in mainland Europe – of those there are a core group who have been selected in every squad head coach Nate Reinking has selected during his time in charge.

In addition to the European- based players, experienced heads from Britain’s domestic BBL league include 33 year old Dan Clark, who plays for the Manchester Giants and his north west team mate Jamell Anderson.

Also in the squad are Japan based Ashley Hamilton and Ovie Soko, who many away from basketball will know through his time on the fifth season of ITV reality TV show Love Island, which aired back in 2019.

Britain’s group is extremely tight at the moment. After two games each team has won and lost a game with all of GB, Greece, Turkey and Belarus on three points. GB sit bottom of the table on points differential with Belarus on top.

The top three teams from each group will progress into the second round, which consists of three groups of six teams, with the top three teams from each group qualifying for the World Cup, which will be hosted by Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines across August and September 2023.

Great Britain have never qualified for a World Cup before, and have only ever make two Olympic appearances in 1949 and 2012 when London was the host city.

The team currently sit 44th in the world rankings while Belarus come into the double header in 48th.

How can I get tickets for Great Britain vs Belarus?

Tickets for the fixture are available now through the Newcastle Eagles online box office. Tickets cost between £15 and £20 for adults and £10 to £15 for children, depending on whether the seats are to the side or end of the arena court.

All Newcastle Eagles season ticket holders can get tickets at a reduced fee of £12.50. VIP hospitality and parking is also available through the ticket portal.