Newcastle United Women

Sunderland is the one fixture that changes the temperature at Gateshead International Stadium. When Newcastle United Women hosted their neighbours there in March 2025, 38,502 people watched, a Women's Championship record, and Newcastle won it 1–0.

The club began life in 1989 as an independent outfit and only became formally tied to Newcastle United through the club's foundation in 2016; full ownership by Newcastle United F.C. followed in August 2022. For most of that history the team trained and played in the shadows of Benton and then St James' Park, where in May 2022 it drew 22,134 for its first official home fixture there. By November that year an FA Cup tie against Barnsley had pushed the attendance record to 28,565, before the Sunderland derby rewrote it again.

Promotion came in back-to-back seasons: the FA Women's National League Division One North title in 2022–23, then the Premier Division North in 2023–24. In August 2024 the club added the inaugural Sela Cup, beating AC Milan on penalties after a 4–4 draw. Demi Stokes returned to the North East from Manchester City in 2024 and was made captain for 2025/26; Grace Donnelly, who had crossed from Sunderland in 2017, left in 2025 as one of the club's own after more than 140 appearances in goal.

Ahead of 2025–26 the team moved its home fixtures to Gateshead International Stadium. Whatever ground the fixture list settles on, Sunderland remains the one date that fills it.