The International Federation of American Football Women’s European Championship kicks off Saturday, April 15 as Team Sweden pays a visit to the UK to take on Team Great Britain at Sixways Stadium in Worcester.
Great Britain is coming off an excellent performance in the 2022 World Championships where they finished second behind Team USA. Sweden lost to Australia in the battle of seventh place in that tournament after finishing with a silver medal in the 2019 IFAF European Championship.
The game is the first of 10 to be played this year and in 2024 as part of a round robin tournament to decide the IFAF European Championship, replacing the single host nation format. Three-time reigning champions Finland will defend their crown against Germany, Great Britain, Spain and Sweden. The nation that finishes on top of the standings once the competition concludes in August 2024 will be the champions.
The two nations last met in Leeds in the 2019 European Championships when Sweden defeated the hosts 9-6.
The Great Britain squad includes 10 players representing their nation for the first time in a game being played 10 years since the Lions took to the field for a women’s international for the first time, when Sweden were also the opponents.
Team Great Britain head coach Chris Stone:
“We set off to Finland last summer for the IFAF World Championships to make history and we did that by bringing home the silver medal. Over the next two years we have the opportunity to make history again as we strive to win a gold a medal in the European Championships, the first in BAFA’s history.
For Team Sweden, veteran running back Anna Hedström, who was the leading rusher for the Swedes at the 2022 World Championships, anchors the offensive backfield with Molly Ewald at quarterback.
“It will for sure be a very tough task to face such a good opponent,” said Sweden coach Anna Jonsson. “The Swedish team is a mix of experienced players, while some are playing their very first international game. All the coaches and the whole team are really looking forward to the game.”
Team Sweden @ Great Britain, April 15, 16:00 CET (4 pm, 10 am EDT)
