World Footy News

Oslo's Australian football team, the Oslo Crows, defeated Swedish team the Karlstad Eagles by 39 points at Ekebergsletta in Oslo on Saturday.

In windy, rainy conditions the home team kicked 10.9.69 to Karlstad's 4.6.30, with Paul Swanston bagging three majors for Oslo.

The win was a great result for a team that featured many Norwegians with limited experience with Australian football, including several first-gamers. Best players for Oslo were Erik Svela, Nathan Roxby, Paul Swanston and Amund Lundesgaard.

"It was a great result for Oslo and a very enjoyable game," said Oslo Crows media manager David Stone.

"Our Norwegian players did a fantastic job, considering many of them had not played in a competitive game before. We are thrilled that the Norwegian-born players are enjoying the game and contributing to our success." he said.

Despite the dubious weather, the game attracted a small crowd of family, friends and curious locals, and both sides appreciated the effort put in by our volunteer umpires, scorers, trainers and timekeepers. The game was played with great spirit and the teams shared a drink and a few stories after the game.

The Crows have three more matches against Swedish teams over summer, before Norway's best players will be selected to play an international match against Finland in Helsinki in July.

With the advent of regular training and games, Norway is beginning to catch up with its Nordic neighbours. There are Australian football clubs in Oslo, Ås and Tromsø.

Any new players wishing to try the sport should contact the Oslo Crows at oslocrows@gmail.com or http://www.oslocrows.no.