World Footy News

One Australian Football enthusiast behind a stall at the University of Birmingham Sports Fair last September has led to the establishment of the United Kingdom's fourth active university-based club. The University of Birmingham Sharks now boast a squad of 22 players, ready to take on the other university sides and local senior UK teams in fixtures throughout the spring.

Below report is courtesy of the Birmingham Sharks

Founder, President and Captain Tim Smith discovered the game earlier this year where he was a member of the Birmingham Bears’ in their formation year. Through the leadership of skipper Mathew Mitchell and the stewardship of now departed Aussie Chris Kimmet, Smith was taught the ways of Australian Football as the team were Runners-up in the Central England Region. Buoyed by this success, Smith and teammate Ian Mitchell vowed to expand the game throughout the West Midlands; Smith with a university side and Mitchell through the formation of a new senior team, the Wolverhampton Wolverines.

Boasting no Australians and no players with prior experience (apart from Smith), nine weeks of hard training instilled the basics into the determined squad in preparation for their hectic schedule of friendlies and tournament matches in 2010. The team begin the season hosting 2008 Wales ARFL champions, the Cardiff Double Blues on 30th January, before embarking on a schedule that includes hosting Portsmouth, Huddersfield, Birmingham Bears and Wolverhampton, as well as visiting Cambridge, Chichester and Leeds Met Universities.

For more information and the Sharks’ full fixture, visit the club's Facebook page.