World Footy News

With the 9-a-side 2011 Euro Cup hosted by the Australian Rules Football League of Ireland just around the corner, WFN spoke to the team managers for some background on the teams, their preparations and their ambitions for this year's tournament.

We're starting with the Irish Warriors, England Dragonslayers, Denmark Vikings, France Coqs and Cymru Red Dragons (Wales) - five sides whose respective leagues have recently mounted campaigns at the 2011 International Cup.

Whilst the English, French and Welsh sides will include a number of IC players, the Irish and Danes will bring completely new sides to the tournament.

Irish Warriors

The home team at this year's Euro Cup will be a completely fresh side from that which represented Ireland at the IC11, with the league choosing not to select from the International Cup squad. Ciaran O'Hara from the ARFLI says "The team has been selected using a variety of criteria, some is on the basis of a 9-a-side game versus Scotland earlier this year, some on league form, a few based on what they have achieved for Ireland on the past and some based on a recent trial in Dublin."

"Players who attended the IC were not considered, but even so, new Coach Shaun McElhone had some very difficult decisions to make and a number of quality experienced internationals were very unlucky to lose out."

"Shaun McElhone has taken over as Ireland's first Irish coach, Shaun was unlucky to miss out on the IC through an injury sustained against GB in April. He was on the European Championship and EuroCup squads with his younger brother David last year."

"Paul 'Junior' Ryan takes over as manager, a popular figure throughout the league who has been pivotal at both the Midland Tigers and Leeside Lions. As yet a Captain has not been selected."

"The lads will be aiming for a medal, preferably gold, but so too will be Croatia, The Netherlands, England and a number of other very strong sides. We're very much looking forward to welcoming all our friends from across Europe to the Northern Capital, it promises to be a great weekend and another important building block for European Footy."

The Irish side will be all-local, as will most other teams; this year the Euro Cup is operating under IC eligibility rules for all sides bar debutants.

England Dragonslayers

Preparation with England has been limited with the 2011 season having been heavily focussed on the IC. However, coach Rob Fielder says a good trial session in Chippenham, plus a home nations tournament between Wales, Scotland and England last weekend, presented the selectors with tough choices.

"The trial included shortened matches, some of the combine testing, plus various other trusted methods of assessment. Four good matches at the Tri-nations in Worksop at the weekend have helped removed the rust and the squad is looking quite sharp. Still, anything can happen as last year showed us. We will prepare for each match with the necessary zeal."

Fielder's assistant coaches will be Dave Veales and GB Bulldogs head coach Mark Pitura. Ian Mitchell is the captain, with plenty of support from many other experienced campaigners.

A large part of the squad has valuable experience of from previous EU Cups, Euro Cups or the Great Britain Bulldogs IC08 and IC11 campaigns; of the 16 man squad for Belfast, 5 travelled to Australia for the 2011 International Cup, plus 4 from the IC2008. Mark Todd, a veteran (though still in early 20's!) of the 4 EU Cup and Euro Cup tournaments 07-10 didn't make the cut. Ali McKinnell and Danny Armitage are the only players remaining from the 2009 EU Cup win.

Cymru Red Dragons (Wales)

The Welsh squad has been training hard, and fielded a number of their Euro Cup squad members at the British Tri-Nations tournament in Worksop last weekend, where they finished 2nd behind hosts England.

Coaching the team is Kim Swain of the three-peat Champions Cardiff Panthers, assisted by Alex Parry from the Swansea Magpies. Captain is 2010 Brit Cup BOG and 2011 Tri-Nations Cup BOG Dave Saunders, also of the Panthers. In fact, eight players, a full half of the squad, are Panthers.

Two GB Bulldogs IC players, Chris James (Cardiff Panthers) and Harry Trigg (West London Wildcats) are in the squad, as are European Legion players, Josh Davey (Panthers) and Rhys 'Gnasher' Morgan (Cardiff Double Blues).

Also included is a Welsh International Touch Rugby Player Ian Carter (Panthers) who scored 7 goals and took BOG on his Aussie Rules debut. The remaining players including two from new club Bridgend Eagles, another Cardiff Double Blue, another player from the London 2011 Premiers West London Wildcats and two from southern English club Portsmouth Pirates.

The Red Dragons finished 7th in their last appearance and will be eager to show they can rise, although they know that the competition will be very tough.

France Coqs

The French are bringing five players to Belfast who recently returned from the IC11 in Australia; Thomas Urban, Mickaël Trividic, Emilien Martinez, Pascal Ivorra and Alban Schieber.

While their experience will be greatly appreciated, coach Cyril Talon says some of their best players from the IC11 either stayed on to work in Australia after the IC, or are back in Canada, where they were playing in Montréal and Toronto.

Talon adds though "The guys in the squad like Julien and Sylvain Maylie from Toulouse, Loïc Raphaël and Julien Correia from Bordeaux are very good too and wanted to come to the IC, were unable through injury or work. They are training very hard during the summer, motivated by the french 'odyssey' in Oz. So we haven't got the best team than we could have, but a good and strong team, to play a good competition and to get our ranking in Europe at 9 a side, for me in the top 6."

The French domestic scene is also growing strong, with their 2011-12 season kicking off last weekend, with Paris defeating Toulouse 111-73 and Bordeaux over Strasbourg 95-66.

Denmark Vikings

The Danish side, as with hosts Ireland, will most likely be a completely different lineup from that which competed in Australia at the IC11. Team manager Niels Schønnemann says "The DAFL main season finished around July 1st - In August and September, some casual 9-a-side games have been played on week nights."

"Myself and Jens Djernes are the leadership group, as we are very dedicated to seeing 9-a-side flourish in Denmark in the future. Both Jens and I are the main drivers on the DAFL board, with me being President and Jens treasurer."

The squad is quite young, most in the age range of 17-19 years, and generally come from the Randers Dockers and Farum Cats, with one each from the North Copenhagen Barracudas and Copenhagen Crocs as well.

"We will probably only have 9-10 or maybe 11 players for the day; recruiting has been hard, as most of the IC guys couldn't afford to go."

"Only Jens Djernes from the IC squad is going, but he might not play, due to an injury. So a good chance zero IC players will play."

This is the first time Denmark is competing in this event, but we have been trying to get a team down several times before. On some occasions our finals was planned on the same weekend (and announced before a date for the previous tournaments was announced) and others, a rumour that it was just expats playing, turned people away from going."

"As we are a very young and small squad, a finish in the top half of the tournament, will be considered a success."