Austria’s Swarco Raiders added the Battle4Tirol to their schedule last year and it was such a resounding success for the team and its fans they have brought it back with a twist this year.
This season the event has been pared down to three stand-alone games with the Elmhurst College Bluejays from Chicago joining Germany’s Stuttgart Scorpions and the reigning Finnish champions the Helsinki Roosters in facing the Raiders. The Raiders will host Elmhurst College and Helsinki at home in Innsbruck while they will travel to Stuttgart to play the Scorpions.
In 2015, the Raiders hosted Stuttgart as well as the Dusseldorf Panther from Germany, Switzerland’s Basel Gladiators and British title holders the London Warriors. Swarco won all four games.
Swarco and Austrian national team head coach Shuan Fatah:
“Our fans, sponsors and players alike were impressed by the BATTLE4TIROL 2015. We hosted four interesting opponents in Innsbruck. This season we face two definite heavyweights. Playing a US college such as Elmhurst is an enormous challenge, but also an opportunity for us to introduce ourselves to football’s homeland. Helsinki is one of the most successful teams in Europe. In addition, for the first time we will be playing an away game as we travel to Stuttgart for the game against the Scorpions.”
The first game on March 29 will see the Raiders head to Germany to play Stuttgart. Then the Roosters arrive in Austria to play the Raiders on April 9. Finally, Elmhurst College travels to Innsbruck on June 4.
Elmhurst College Bluejays
Elmhurst College is a Division III school from Elmhurst just outside of Chicago. The team plays in the CCIW Conference and last won the conference championship in 2012. The Bluejays are no strangers to playing in Europe. In 2013, they were in Rome to play an exhibition game.
Helsinki Roosters
The reigning champions from Finland have won 18 Finnish titles including the last four in a row. The Roosters won the IFAF Europe Champions League title in 2014 in dramatic fashion. Although the Roosters do not start their Finnish schedule until June, they are in full offseason preparations.
Stuttgart Scorpions
