The Oslo Vikings will open the 2023 Scandinavian Cup by hosting the Örebro Black Knights on Saturday, April 22.
In the 2022 tournament, the Vikings lost to both the eventual winners, the Stockholm Mean Machines and then to the Carlstad Crusaders. Örebro did not participate in the Cup last year.
The Vikings don’t play a game in the Norwegian league until May 20 but did face Denmark’s Copenhagen Towers on April 1 in an exhibition contest which they lost 22-7. Meanwhile, Örebro lost in the opening weekend of play in the Swedish Superserien to the Stockholm Mean Machines 48-12.
Oslo enters the game with a 36 man roster. Jesber Johnsen will start at quarterback after an impressive 2022 season both in the Norwegian league and the Scandinavian Cup. One of his key targets will be wide receiver Linn Byrd. Vikings head coach Derek Mann will start Vegard Tysse at running back. Anchoring the defense is veteran All American defensive end William Sewell.
For Örebro, 6’7″ Trevor Vasey has returned for his third season and will lead an offense featuring a pair of excellent running backs in veteran Timmy Göransson and Team Sweden’s Kasper Wedbert. At wide receiver, brothers Jesper and Johannes Lindeus will definitely test the Oslo secondary. Linebacker Edvin Jönsson along with Spanish defensive back Alonso Iglesias lead the defense.