On Saturday May 3rd, Karlstad is set to host the largest gathering of Australian Football participants ever in Sweden. As many as 10 clubs from all over the country will descend on Värmland to compete in the inaugural Swedish Lightning Tournament, the "VB Cup". The 2008 VB Cup will be a one-day 9-a-side tournament between club sides from across Sweden, with an outside chance the Oslo Trolls from Norway may make their long-awaited debut. The tournament will also be an important step in getting the best local talent in the country together for the Swedish Elks' International Cup preparations, with numbers in Sweden now around 300 regular players - two-thirds of which are locals.
"It’s exciting to represent your country in a sport," says Gothenburg’s Joel Språng whohas played Aussie Rules since 2002, "I never thought I’d get to do that." Språng is justone of over 300 Swedish players who currently play Australian Football in Sweden. Over the past few years clubs have formed in towns and cities all over Sweden. To date around 30 Swedes have pledged to take time off work this August to play for the national side. Withlittle in the way of sponsorship they will have to pay for travel, accommodation and dailyexpenses, all out of their own pocket. It is just a measure of their dedication to the game. "It’s a fantastic sport!" states national team captain Andreas Svensson "In Sweden we watch soccer where nothing really happens. But in ...
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