A rivalry that goes back 30 years has been chosen as the fixture to mark Sheffield Sharks’ first game in their new Park Community Arena in Attercliffe.

The Sharks will host long-standing foes Newcastle Eagles on Sunday, October 8, 3pm, at their new 2,500-seater arena powered by Canon Medical Systems.

It will be the sixth game of their British Basketball League campaign, the first five of which will be on the road to give the club as long as possible to stress test the venue which remains on schedule to be completed in time.

Marcus Delpeche and the Sheffield Sharks have discovered their 2023/24 fixtures. (Picture: Adam Bates)

Sharks have been fighting for more than seven years to get a home to call their home and October 8 will represent a red letter day for a team formed in 1991.

Sharks will also play games on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve in a break from tradition, visiting champions London Lions on December 24 and hosting Cheshire Phoenix on December 31.

Their British Basketball League season tips-off in Newcastle on Thursday, September 14, against the Eagles in the opening game of the season, at the start of a weekend of rivalries spread across four nights.

January will see the League hit pause on regular season action as the British Basketball League Trophy takes centre stage for the month, introducing a fresh Final Four setup on 27-28 January 2024 for the semi-finals and final at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena. The event will see the Men’s Trophy semi-final on the Saturday and both 2024 Men’s and Betty Codona Women’s Trophy finals on the Sunday.

Artist's impression of the new Park Community Arena where Sheffield Sharks will play.

The Regular Season resumes February 1 and wraps up on April 21, but not before a show-stopping All-Star Game returns in March 2024, pitting the finest from the North against the best from the South in a thrilling showcase at London’s Copper Box Arena.

Once the Regular Season draws to a close, the pinnacle of competitive basketball arrives: the Playoffs. The elite eight teams from the previous seven months will compete in best-of-three series in the quarter-finals and semi-finals for a spot in the coveted 2024 Playoff Final, set at The O2 in London on May 19.

Sheffield Sharks fixtures in full

Regular season

Thursday 14 September 2023 7:45pm (A) Newcastle Eagles

Sunday 24 September 2023 6:00pm (A) Cheshire Phoenix

Saturday 30 September 2023 5:00pm (A) Surrey Scorchers

Sunday 1 October 2023 3:00pm (A) Plymouth City Patriots

Friday 6 October 2023 7:30pm (A) Bristol Flyers

Sunday 8 October 2023 3:00pm (H) Newcastle Eagles

Sunday 15 October 2023 3:00pm (H) Caledonia Gladiators

Friday 20 October 2023 7:45pm (H) London Lions

Sunday 22 October 2023 3:00pm (A) Caledonia Gladiators

Wednesday 25 October 2023 7:30p RS (A) Plymouth City Patriots

Saturday 4 November 2023 8:00pm (H) Manchester Giants

Thursday 9 November 2023 7:45pm (H) Surrey Scorchers

Saturday 11 November 2023 8:00pm (A) Caledonia Gladiators

Friday 17 November 2023 7:45pm (H) Leicester Riders

Sunday 26 November 2023 3:00pm (H) Bristol Flyers

Saturday 2 December 2023 8:00pm (A) Bristol Flyers

Sunday 10 December 2023 3:00pm (H) Cheshire Phoenix

Friday 22 December 2023 7:45pm (H) Plymouth City Patriots

Sunday 24 December 2023 3:00pm (A) London Lions

Saturday 30 December 2023 5:00pm (A) Leicester Riders

Sunday 31 December 2023 3:00pm (H) Cheshire Phoenix

Trophy

Saturday 6 January 2024 5:00pm TRO (A) Surrey Scorchers

Thursday 11 January 2024 7:45pm TRO (H) Caledonia Gladiators

Sa turday 20 January 2024 8:00pm TRO (H) Plymouth City Patriots

Sunday 21 January 2024 6:00pm TRO (A) Cheshire Phoenix

Saturday 27 January 2024 TRO Semi-Final @ Utilita Arena Birmingham

Sunday 28 January 2024 TRO Final @ Utilita Arena Birmingham

Regular season

Friday 2 February 2024 7:30pm (A) Surrey Scorchers

Thursday 8 February 2024 7:45pm (A) London Lions

Friday 16 February 2024 7:30pm (A) Leicester Riders

Friday 23 February 2024 7:45pm (H) Manchester Giants

Sunday 25 February 2024 6:00pm (A) Manchester Giants

Thursday 29 February 2024 7:45pm (H) Bristol Flyers

Sunday 3 March 2024 6:00pm (A) Cheshire Phoenix

Thursday 7 March 2024 7:45pm (H) Surrey Scorchers

Sunday 24 March 2024 3:00pm (H) Newcastle Eagles

Friday 29 March 2024 7:45pm (H) Leicester Riders

Friday 5 April 2024 7:30pm (H) London Lions

Sunday 7 April 2024 6:00pm (A) Manchester Giants

Friday 12 April 2024 7:45pm (H) Caledonia Gladiators

Saturday 20 April 2024 8:00pm (H) Plymouth City Patriots

Sheffield Sharks 2023/24 fixtures: First home game v Newcastle Eagles, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve games