AUSSIES IN SWEDEN

SPORT

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AUSSIE SPORTS LINKS – IN AUSTRALIA
AUSSIE SPORTS IN SWEDEN
SPORTS EVENTS IN SWEDEN
SPORTS FEDERATIONS IN SWEDEN

The Swedes are passionate about sports. They are a remarkably healthy people and love the outdoors, even in weather that would have sane people diving for cover. Almost every sport you can think of is represented in Sweden and you should be able to find something suited to your needs.

AUSSIE SPORTS LINKS- AUSTRALIA

Aussie Rules Football The official home page of the AFL. The state leagues are at SANFL for SA news, at VFL (for those traitors across the border) and WAFL for the sandgroper expats. You can also go to Talking Footy This site offers fans a forum to air their opinions and gripes about Ausssie Rules Football. And here you can set up your own Footy Tips competition while away.

Basketball NBL’s home page. See if white men can jump. Women’s basketball at WNBL. Also check out our national teams (Boomers, Boomerangs, Opals and Pearls) at Basketball Australia.

Cycling news can be found at Cycling Australia. And don’t forget the Tour Down Under.

Cricket The Baggy Green home of men’s Aussie Cricket. Another good site is the Waving the Flag page, which covers cricket tours.

Golf news is available at the Australian Golf Union. And The Little Aussie Golfer is worth a look.

Horse Racing The Racing Pages has the news and links to clubs, events including The Melbourne Cup and Oakbank.

Netball News and updates at Netball Australia home page. See us thump the Kiwis...

Olympic Sports AOC home page. See out newest sports hopes.

Rugby League NRL has all the latest news and competitions. The Ozleague site also has news and links to league news and competitions. And yes, you can have your own Tipping Competition.

Rugby Union Rugby.com links to the domestic competition as well as news about the Wallabies. There is also Rugby Heaven.

Sailing The Cruising Yacht Club has plenty of news and links. Also see Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race.

Skiing See Ski Australia Missing the snow in July? Check out the snow cams in Oz!

Soccer Soccer Australia has information on National League tables and results, Aussies playing overseas, all the national teams and lots of gossip. The men’s national team is the Socceroos, the women’s national team is the Matildas. Can you tell I’m a soccer fan?

Surfing The Surfing Australia site is the way to go and also check out the surf cams.

Tennis Check Tennis Australia homepage. A welcome relief from the Thomas Enqvist stories... and of course check out the Australian Open.

Sports News The Bladder is a satirical look at Aussie sports. It really cracks me up and could only have been written by Australians! Hey, it even includes the elections as a sport!

AUSSIE SPORTS – SWEDEN

Cricket in Sweden
Guttsta Wicked Cricket Club (E) (Stockholm and Kolsva)
Stockholm Cricket Club (S) in Stockholm

Aussie Rules in Sweden

Australian Rules Football has had an active presence in Sweden since 1993 and has really taken off in the last few years. They are hoping to be able to field a team in the 2008 International Cup in Melbourne. For information and a list of teams, see the Swedish Australian Football Association site. (E)

DAFL The Danish Australian Football League is a hugely successful league where several Skåne based teams play. The Swedish based teams in the league are the highly successful Southern Saints (based in Helsingborg), Lund Magpies, Helsingborg West Raptors and Port Malmö.

Stockholm has the Stockholm Dynamite footy team. The website is at SARFC and has information and a discussion forum. Fellow AA member Philip Porublev is one of the driving forces behind the team and they are keen to contact any potential players and supporters to the new club.

Göteborg there is the Göteborg Beserkers, organised by Martin Språng. See their website at GARFC Anyone in Göteborg or the surrounding area is very welcome to contact Martin.

Borås, Thomas Bergkvist, a former player for Helsingborg Saints is attempting to get a team going. Anyone in the area who is interested can email Thomas.

Falun Cameron Crooks is an Aussie based in Falun (Dalarna) and he started up a fledgling Aussie Rules team in early 2007. He is looking for players, coaching and training staff, supporters – if you are interested, mail Cameron for details.

Värmland The Karlstad Dragons were launched by an enthusiastic group of guys in February 2007. Check out their website for the latest news, forum discussions and social events. They are keen to build up the player and supporter base, so pop along and give them your support.

I’m not aware of other Aussie football clubs, though the expat club Southern Cross in Stockholm sometimes organises games on a “friendly” basis.

Rugby in Sweden
I guess because of the Poms being so close the game is popular here (Not that the Poms can play, of course!) The official organisation here is Rugby.se with information in Swedish and English. Stockholm have a federation too (typical 08’s, hej) Below are a few clubs around the country...

Stockholm Exiles Rugby Union has an Aussie organiser and a few Aussies playing there. Check out the Exiles webpage. They have men’s, women’s and junior teams from aged 5 upwards. Getting associated with a club like the Stockholm Exiles is a great way to meet Swedish people as well as ex-pats; stay in shape; and make local friends and contacts. For more details about training times, locations and general club information, please contact Philip. All welcome!

Attila Rugby Gang is a Stockholm based club with clubhouse in the middle of the city at Mariatorget. (E)

Enköping Rugby Club (S)

Frölunda Rugby Club (Göteborg) (S) (E)

Gripen Rugby Club (Helsingborg) (S) (E)

Hammarby Rugby (S) (Stockholm)

Najaden Halmstad Rugby Club (S) (E)

Karlstad Rugby Club (S)

Lugi The university team in Lund (S) (E)

Malmö Rugby Club (S) (E)

Mälarö Vikings at Eckerö (S) (E)

Pingvin Rugby Club (Trelleborg) (S)

Red Saints in Stockholm (S) (E)

Ronneby Rugby Club (S) (E)

Spartacus Rugby Club, Göteborg (S) (E)

Stockholm Exiles (E) (S)

Södertälje Rugby Club (S) (E)

Wexiö Rugby Club in Växjö (S)

Vänersborg Rugby Club (S) (E)

Örebro Rugby Club is another university club(S)

Surfing Yeah, I know “What waves?” Well, I met a “surfie” in Västerås who told me the best surfing beach was very close to my home in Nynäshamn – at Torö. I had a look and ...well..hmm... But you judge for yourself at Sweden Surf. Other “good spots” are on the west coast. The main surfie site is Kallsuppen. Just click on the Aussie flag for the English version. The site has weather and surf details, tips, webcams, a shop, newsletter and a forum.

SPORTS EVENTS IN SWEDEN

Athletics DN Galan is part of the IAAF Grand Prix and is THE leading track and field event in Sweden.

Cross Country Running The Lidingö-Loppet is the largest cross-country race in the world, attracting some of the best runners of the world, both men and women. Up to 12,000 participate in this tough 30km race.

Cross Country Skiing Vasaloppet is a fantastic 90 km cross-country ski race held in the first weekend of March. It is probably the most famous and popular sporting event in Sweden and attracts tourists from all over the country and from all around the world to Mora and Sälen each year. There are 40,000 participants! Other events around it include the 30km KortVasan, the 30km ladies only TjejVasan, the 900m BarnensLoppet (for all nursery and primary school children)

Cycling The Post Girot Open is a six-stage event with a mixed participation of amateur country teams and professional teams. This is considered the “Tour de France” of Sweden. There is also Tjejtrampet the world's largest all women race with a distance of 100 km and some 8000 participants. The race is held in central Stockholm. The Vättern-Rundan, held the week before midsummer is a 300km race around the second biggest lake in Sweden. It is open to both men and women, though there is a Tjej-Vättern for women, too, held a week before the main race.

Dragon Boat Racing is very popular. There are clubs in Örebro, Stockholm. Göteborg, Helsingborg, Åhus and Malmö. Festivals are held in summer.

Horse Riding Göteborg Horse Show is held in March. Has dressage, show-jumping, horse-dance, horse-promenade and is really HUGE.

Long Distance Skating Göta kanalrännet The long-distance skating race on the ice of Göta Canal between Borensberg and Berg takes place on the last Sunday in January every year. The skating courses are between 20 - 80 km. (S) (E) There is also Vikingarännet an 80km race along the frozen waters of Lake Mälaren between Uppsala and Stockholm (S) (E) and Ornäsrännet an historic 21km family race held in February on Lake Runn in Darlana (S)

Orienteering The O-Ringen An orienteering race, held in July. There are some 20,000 participants in these races, where a compass, a map, and a clock are the main tools. It is a prestigious race, and is broadcast on national television.

Running The Stockholm Marathon held in June, is basically a two-lap course through the central parts of Stockholm with much of the race run along beautiful waterways. The home page has information and entry details. There is also the Tjejmilen, which is the largest women’s only marathon with over 30,000 entries. On the west coast in May, there is a well-known half marathon the Göteborg Varvet. And the Broloppet across the Öresund Bridge!

Sailing The Gotland Runt, a race from Sandhamn (in the Stockholm Archipelago) around Gotland and back is the highlight of the sailing year. It is the Sydney-Hobart of Sweden. The other big race is on the west coast – Tjörn Runt in beautiful Bohuslän. There is also the tough two-handed 600nm Östersjömaran. And to see the “big boys” like Dennis Conner & co, the Swedish Match Race at Marstrand is a must.