Latest Team News!

We have just received the latest news from our reporter within the Swedish camp. The selection is very interesting and shows just how hard the coaching team of Mike Tatu and Mike Hale have worked to get this squad together. So all the speculation is over and this is the team that will take the pitch against Holland tomorrow, in Trelleborg.

1   M. MacDonald
2   J O Johansson
3   M Thorhard
4   I Bengtsson
5   V Pettersson (Captain)
6   A Letele
7   A Daish
8   S Taylor
9   L Sandberg
10 T Johansson
11 T Borg
12 P Mathews
13 A Taylor
14 T Ardvisson
15 B Nave

16 F Casslehag
17 R Johansson
18 R De Jaeger
19 P Wiklund
20 R Ornberg
21 P Sullivan
22 J Wetterstrom

With plenty of good players on the bench and one or two younger ones who could be called upon, this looks to be the basis of an exciting squad and we wish them well for the game.

Who's Who?

First up for the Ladies, Anna-Lena Swartz. Someone who is a talented and dedicated Rugby player, she helps put something back into the game, through her enthusiasm and experience, by coaching and having time for those who are less experienced than herself. A very good player who had a great EM, despite some of the difficulties that were  encountered on the way. We are delighted to feature Anna-Lena as the first female player to be profiled on our blog.

How did you become involved with Rugby?

I went with a friend to a training and was hooked from first second.

When did you first start playing? 

1996

What positions  have you played?

During the years I have played everywhere except prop,

just like most players do in Sweden, and my preference is 7.

What Club/s have you played for?

NRK Trojan

Do you have any International Caps?

19 (both 15 and 7 aside)

What has been your best playing experience?

Lots, but Italy 2006 and EM in Stockholm this year are two strong memories.

Your worst playing experience?

Losing against Enköping this year at home

What are your ambitions within the game?

Improve my game, keep working on understanding

What encourages you about the game in Sweden?

Lots of fun, fantastic people involved that are great fun to be with, 

lots of talent,  in Trojan have a strong U17 girls team and they are fantastic.

How do you see the future for the game?

Really bright, clubs will get stronger and 7´s in Olympics will make this game more popular.

Your profession?

Sales Engineer, Siemens

Marital status?

have a partner

Children?

Amanda, 8 years

Our thanks to Anna-Lena.

Who's Who?

So, do you know the players who represent the Men and Women in the National Squads?

If like us you don't, then it's time we made an effort on your behalf. That's exactly what we intend to do, so using our extensive resources and by calling in lots of markers we have managed to secure profiles of players from both the Senior squads. As the Men kick off first we thought that we might start with a player you may or may not know.

Andy Daish is first up, we very much look forward to watching him play on Saturday.

How did you become involved with Rugby? 

My Dad is welsh so rugby is religion in my parents house.
When did you first start playing? 

I first started playing when I was 6.
What positions do you play? 

I play back row but have played at inside centre and wing this year for Nuneaton.
What Club/s have you played for? 

London Welsh RFC, Birmingham and Solihull RFC and Nuneaton RFC
How many International Caps have you got? 

Played for Sweden 7s in two competitions but I have been capped for Wales Youth U18, Wales Schools U18 and Wales U19.
What's been your best playing experience? 

Scoring the winning try for Wales U18s against England in the U18 4 Nations Tournament infront of my Dad.
Worst playing experience? 

Being relegated from The Championship with Birmingham and Solihull RFC although we won our last 4 games.
Your ambitions within the game? 

To keep improving, keep learning and to give my best performance in every game I can for club and my new country.
What encourages you about the game in Sweden? 

Clubs and players are showing a professional attitude towards all aspects of the game, on and off the field which can only benefit club level and in turn, the national squads.
How do you see your future in the game? 

I see my future, hopefully fulfilling my ambitions in the game and give something back to the game in Sweden, maybe moving over to play for a side.
What's your profession? 

I am Physical Education Teacher.
Marital status? 

I am engaged to my very supportive and understanding fiance, Jo.
Any Children? 

No children.

Our thanks to Andy for his response and for being the first player published,

The People Behind the Scenes

Here at the TrueSwedenRugby (TSR) offices, we constantly discuss a variety of topics mostly relating to rugby and Swedish Rugby in particular. It occurred to us that although certain players and coaches are known by quite a few of us involved in the sport, very few of us know about the people working out of the glare of the spotlight. In order for a minority sport to run and try to get established, it needs strong management and guidance, from those behind the scenes. They may choose to let their work do their talking for them and shy away from any publicity, but our view is that those involved with the game should be able to recognize and know about the shakers and movers, who affect and influence our game.

To that end, we have decided to run a series of profiles on them, which will hopefully be beneficial to all, first up is Stina Leijonhufvud.

TSR. How did you become involved in Rugby?

SL.My (younger) sister started playing in the Gymnasium and after a while
thought that I probably should be interested to try it out. I went to a
practice with her when she lived in Barcelona - and the rest is, as they
say, history... :)

TSR. When did you first start playing? 

SL.  summer 1997

TSR.  What position/s did you play? 

SL.  Wing. Have tried all other positions except hooker and scrumhalf with OK
result depending on team status etc, but main position has been wing since
my coach realized I was big but quick (winter 98)

TSR. What Club's have you played for?

SL.  Stockholm Exiles

TSR. Have you won any International Caps?

SL.  Yes, both in 15s approx 6 caps (2000-2002) and 7s (hong kong 2000, EM 2008)

TSR. What has been your best playing experience?

SL.  Playing in Dubai 7s 2000 when I filled in in the Dubai Exiles while on
vacation and we played in the local final in front of 10.000. (and I
missed both kicks on goal btw... :)
There are more exceptional experiences, Hong Kong 7s and some of the club
rugby and tours.

TSR.  Your worse playing experience?

SL.   Getting my knee tackled by England in 7s 2008, resulting in me quitting.

TSR.  What is your position on the Board?

SL.   Treasurer + press- and web responsible.

TSR.  How did you become involved with the administration side of things?

SL.   Have helped the different gs now and then even earlier, and been involved
within the club. While I was on crutches, the election committee looked for a
treasurer and realized I was no longer training every day... They talked
me into taking up the position until 2009, then they talked me in on
standing for election 2009.

TSR.  What are your ambitions for the game?

SL.   More clubs and players all over the country, rugby must develop and we
should start with the youth and junior sections. To have local youth
tournaments as a compliment to the big tournament-weekends as have started
this year i Mälardalen and West is probably an important way forward.
I also believe that the school tournaments could/can be a way for the clubs
to address new players, but we have to work on it...

7s should be played all over the country and all/most teams should be
playing in the 7s SM. Especially important as 7s is included in the
olmpics now. (not that 15s is not important we just have to do both)
We have to have more referees with good qualifications and a positive
attitude to refereeing (includes the attitude of players, coaches and
public)
We have to be much better on the administration and management areas, not
least on the national teams. Currently the ladies have a good structure,
but in other areas there is lack of planning and information. Also with
good planning we ca get the most out of the funds there are, and with good
information we can get press (which might generate funds)

TSR.  What encourages you about the game in Sweden?

SL.  *The women's qualification to WRWC
*New clubs as Umeå, Visby and Aspenäs
*Club development officers being set up around the clubs and they actually
start to have a plan regarding development including recruitment and
retainment of players and coaches.
* The refereeing section that seems to gain momentum, and a plan for
development, under Julian Bevan and Richard Hopkins

We would like to thank Stina for her views and wish her well for the future.

The Work Carries On.

Whilst the domestic season may have finished here in Sweden, the players, coaches and management fortunate enough to be involved in the National Squads still have work to do.

The Men are taking on Holland this Saturday in Trelleborg in what promises to be an exiting match. Holland had the upper hand earlier in the year, but they will be facing a much changed side this time around. With the return of some old faces the squad has a look of strength and experience about it. The players should also be much fitter after a full season playing either at home or abroad. After the match the players will be having a few days back home before they embark to Malta, where another strong test awaits. We do feel that the squad are more than capable of winning both matches. The only downside is that there has been a lack of quality training time, something that we understand is being addressed by the FK and his team.

The Ladies?, well they are having a training/selection camp at Spartacus Rugby Club,the same weekend as the Men's match, which is something that could not be avoided. Then on the 21st November they will be in Wales, who we understand will be providing the opposition. This, if the full Wales side takes the field will be a major test for the EM group winners. Following this, there is a major programme in place, to take them up to the World Cup Finals in August/September next year.

Clearly, here at TrueSweden Rugby we wish both squads the best and we will keep you up to date with any news about them

7's Champions.

So the curtain came down on a prolonged season with what can only be described as a poor display of 7's rugby. It really is a different game from 15's and please remember it will be an Olympic Sport in 2016.
We take nothing away from the winners, who after all can only beat the opposition that's in front of them. However, with only 1 club from the Elite in the Men's competition and 2 in the Women's the tournament was undeserving in promoting itself  as the National 7's Competition. The number of clubs participating was also disappointing, something must surely be done, by fair means or foul, to ensure as many clubs as possible enter the tournament next year.
For the record, Enkoping (men's), GRF (women's) and Vanersborg (youth) were the winners.

The Whistle Blower.

Sitting in our offices overlooking the most majestic of the Capital's views and enjoying some delightful refreshments, we started to think, what would most people involved with the game discuss the most? The answer, in our opinion and not really surprising was, Referee's. This has always been a bit of favourite topic with players and coaches alike. However, in our view there has been a marked improvement in the organisation of these most valued people and we also believe in their performances. Of course, they don't always get it right on the day, but neither do the players or coaches. What must improve next season though, is the manner in which they are treated. There are far too many people involved in the game, who are quick to abuse those in the middle. Abuse should not be tolerated! and it is the responsibility of coaches, captains and most importantly the clubs, to ensure that all officials are treated with respect and courtesy. Referees should in return, make an obligation to know the Laws, be impartial and officiate fairly. They should also be open to discussion about the game, after the match and be prepared to take constructive criticism. We know that a lot of positive work is going on behind the scenes and that has to be applauded. Coaches can also help by educating their players in the Laws of the game, after all they are responsible for training their players in the art of rugby, if (and there are some), the coaches don't know the Laws, how are the players going to understand when they are penalised? Providing that the improvements continue then this will have a positive effect on the game and the standard of play will also improve.
Finally on this theme, why do referees get paid more to officiate at Men's matches than Women's? They both play to the same Laws and for the same period of time. In a country such as Sweden, to find this blatant sex discrimination seems most peculiar.

Seasons Finale. 7's in the Rain?

So as the winter draws in and the clouds are increasingly covering us with more rain, we arrive at one of the seasons showpieces. The National 7's competition being held at Enkoping this coming weekend. Whoever planned this has very little idea about 7's rugby. The game is about running rugby in good conditions and on hard surfaces, not on what is quite clearly going to be some heavy ground, and we mean no disrespect to Enkoping.
This has also come at the end of a long drawn out season and consequently the organisers have not had the response they would have liked. With fewer clubs entering the tournament and a host of the bigger names missing, the competition has already been cut to 1 day.
The clubs entered for the Men are:-
Vanersborg, Enkoping, Gotland, Visby, RK Attack, Umea and Attila.
So, just one club from the Elite and although we expect Vanersborg to make a show, we would expect Enkoping to win.


For the Women, the line up is:-
Goteborg, Enkoping, Attila, Umea and Lugi.
Very poor attendance here with Goteborg the clear favourites to retain the crown.

The Juniors will feature clubs from:-
Vanersborg, Sodertalje, Hammarby and Enkoping.
Our money is on Vanersborg for this one.

This is a very poor turn out for a National event!
A shame that most of the top clubs are missing, in what should have been a festival of flowing rugby. So our plea to those doing the planning in future is, 7's is NOT meant to be played on waterlogged or very heavy pitches, move it back to the summer and do more to encourage the clubs participation, After all it is going to be an Olympic event in the not too distant future.

Rugby's Grand Finals Day?

Having digested a rather splendid lunch, we started to discuss the matches of the previous day. With the women having a rather small crowd for their final in Uppsala and Enkoping hosting many more spectators, we investigated the numbers at the first finals. Again, the crowd for the men far exceeded those that watched the women in Gothenborg. There was also a difference in the amounts being charged for entry.
So, being the sort of people that we are we debated the various benefits to rugby of having two finals and concluded that it may be of some benefit to the competing clubs, but to the game as a whole, it probably did nothing.
So we then decided to try and find a solution where all could benefit, Clubs, Union and most importantly, the game!
We think that there should be a Grand Finals Day, where both the Ladies and the Men play to decide winners. If this was held in different locations each year, in the South, followed by the West etc and the venues were suitable, enclosed grounds being a must. Then the publicity for such an event could be planned earlier, the press and media informed of the date etc, etc. Revenue from the event could be divided between the competing clubs and the Union, with the initial costs borne by the Union.
This we feel could benefit the players, larger crowds watching, the game, more publicity professionaly handled and the clubs by promotion of the game.
That's our view, what say you? If you agree or disagree click onto the poll and let's find out.

To the Victor the Spoils!

And so the 15 a side season has finished and we now have two Champions, who succeeded where all others failed.
At trueswedenrugby we were fortunate to have people at both matches, and due to the wonders of modern science, or mobiles with internet capability, we are able to publish their reports.
As the Ladies kicked off first, we will start with 'Scoop Jennings' report.

Hi Heineken, many thanks for allowing me the honour of filing this first report.

With the rain making it's scheduled appearance the game kicked of, in front of a relatively small crowd, which for a final was a disappointment. However it was the home side that were soon in control and for the first 25 minutes appeared to be the only team trying to win the game. Gothenburg were playing as if the game did not really matter and whenever they received the ball, they were glad to relieve the pressure through their Fly Half's kicking. Eventually the pressure told and Uppsala went over the whitewash in the corner, thanks to a well worked maul. This still couldn't stir the visitors from their inertia, but what happened shortly after had a positive effect for them. The Uppsala 12 got injured and could take no further part in the game, as a vital player in attack and defence the teams balance was disturbed. But at half-time they were leading 5-0
The second half started almost as a carbon copy of the first with Uppsala in control and then somehow the ball found it's way to the visitors right winger, 5 missed tackles and a hand off later. she placed the ball down over the whitewash. This was obviously the spark the Gothenborg needed an they came into the game a bit more. With the game becoming even, the mercurial winger received the ball and once again the result was a try. Now in the lead,  probably more by luck, the confidence of the team from the West started to grow and when the big lock flopped over for a try, the game looked over. However Uppsala kept plugging away and in all fairness deserved more for their efforts. Unfortunately for them another score under the posts took the game away from them, scored of course by the flyer on the wing. Still Uppsala kept battling and were rewarded with another score from a penalty move before Gothenborg finished off the game with a try that also came from a penalty and was the only time their backs seemed to run onto the ball. The final score of 10-29 was more than flattering to the visitors, who in my view were grateful to have such a good finisher. Apart from her, they were second best in almost all other aspects. But I don't suppose they will care one iota!
Overall a poor display of Women's Rugby in poor conditions. Not too impressed with the referee either.

Thanks for that report, now onto the Men's with his insight we give you 'Pressman'.

The pitch was in good shape for this finale and with a pretty big crowd, we all got ready for what we hoped would be something special. The first shock was created by Exiles when they took to the field without their Captain. This news obviously inspired Enkoping and after the exchange of a couple of penalties they rumbled their way over the line to score first. This was like a dagger to the heart for Exiles and it looked like one or two heads started to hang. Before much longer the home side scored again, followed shortly by another, so after 25 minutes the score stood at 15-3 almost a copy of last weeks score. The crowd, myself included, started to wonder if we were about to watch Exiles explode into action and give us another game similar to the previous game. Although they were pressing for a score before half time their pressure resulted in no score.
The second half was much as the first but without the scores. Exiles were pressing, Enkoping defending with the final pass by one of the men in black going astray. With changes in personnel being made by both sides it was pretty much stalemate,until from a penalty Enkoping kicked to the corner, from the resultant line out 2 ball, catch and drive and the home side went over. We then witnessed the Exiles captain coming on, and it was he who started to straighten the line when they attacked. One of these runs helped to create the score that Exiles probably deserved, although it was too little too late. Final score 20-10

Thanks to both our intrepid reporters, who will no doubt be getting a warming drink in a bar somewhere, as all hacks do.

.

Small is Beautiful.

Well it is in the Ladies finale any way. One of the most intriguing battles will be between the two opposing number 9's. For Uppsala, there is the talent of Sofia Torstensson, a member of the victorious EM squad this year and who is somebody who never gives up. Full of determination and with a genuine sprinters speed, she can cause problems for the opposition. Somebody whom we are told is very approachable.
Against her and playing for Goteborg, Sarah Sexton. Lacking in experience at scrum half but nevertheless a young lady full of talent, who has developed as the season has unfolded. Still eager to learn the trade of a scrum half, don't be surprised if she pulls on an International shirt before too long.

So in the spirit of fairness we thought it right and proper, we put the same questions to Sarah and Sofia, as we did to the men.                
                                 What Nationality are you?

Swedish/Scottish                      I'm Swedish                       

                                    Your Position/s?

Scrum-half/Wing        I started out on the wing as pretty much

                                 everybody and now I'm scrum half.

                                 I've also played 10 this season 

                                         Your Age

 18                                                       21

                                   International Caps?

-                                I think I've played 5 with 15-aside,

                                 and I've played two tournaments

                                 with 7aside.    

                              When did you start playing?

Started playing when I was 10 years old.       2005

                           What are your plans for the future?

To play rugby                To play the 2010 World Cup 

                           Has the season lived up to your expectations?

 So far yes! :)         We're in the finals now all we need is a win

                           How do you think the next match will go?

Hopefully we will win!         I expect us to win the next match.

                     What has been your highlight of the season, so far?

That we played so well and won       Winning the series.

the first final match                                     

                        What has been the lowpoint of your season?

The two matches we drew.    Loosing previous game against

 (Uppsala vs GRF 12-12)    Gothenburg because we didn't play

 (Enkoping vs GRF 7-7)      well enough.

Many thanks to both players for their views. 

Profile of Paul Sullivan

Well would you believe it? No sooner had we finished Matt's profile than that charismatic captain of Exiles replied to our questions and supplied us with his latest photograph. Funny it reminds us of someone, but we just cannot think who, Paul must have a double?
Anyway enough frivolity let's subject this genial of men to a severe grilling.

What Nationality are you?
English
Your Position/s?
12
Your Age?
33
International Caps?
2 Sweden
When did you start playing?
way too long ago! Moseley Under 9´s
What are your plans for the future?
an international try and a happy retirement, but not quite yet!
Has the season lived up to your expectations?
pretty much, again it was the northern teams setting the standard, a little dissappointed in the strength of the southern teams this year, although good to see Spartacus join the ranks and try to develop
How do you think the next match will go?
Tight. 4 points is nothing but gives them a slight edge. as far as we are concerned it is nil all, a genuine cup final - as it should be in the first place. time to put an end to two legs for a grand final? Korsängen is a great place to play with a fantastic atmospere, and an even better place to win!
What has been your highlight of the season, so far?
reaching the final in a tense encounter against hammarby
What has been the lowpoint of your season?
losing to our closest neighbours, twice.

Any comments you might like to add?
Thanks True Sweden rugby for your efforts to balance things up, breath of fresh air and well overdue!!

Cheers, Sully

Our thanks to both captains responding to our questions in what must be a pretty hectic week for them. We wish both teams good luck and look forward to a good match.

Profile of Matt Youngman

One of the topics we have been discussing in the office is, should we feature profiles of players on the blog. Well the ayes took it and we then had to decide who we should feature first. We believe that Matt Youngman has had an enormous impact on the pitch this season and as one of the captains in Saturdays finale we are delighted to feature him. It would have been nice if he had kept his clothes on for the photo session ;) but we guess that it might please some of our readers.

So here's Matt's replies to our questions.

What Nationality are you?                    
New Zealand
Your Position/s?                                   
hooker/ inside center
Your Age?                                           
25
International Caps?                               
0
When did you start playing?                 
started playing at 10 years old.barefoot rugby up in whangarei!
What are your plans for the future? 
Staying involved with ERK and would like to get a couple of caps with the national 15\7s team would be sweet.
Has the season lived up to your expectations?
definetly the season has gone really and the team has lived up to there expectations.
How do you think the next match will go?  
i feel if we can execute our game plan and keep our discipline a win is definetly on the cards for us :)
What has been your highlight of the season, so far?
making the final has been a real high point for us considering the start we got away too.
What has been the lowpoint of your season?          
the huge break in the middle (holidays) its a killer.

Thanks to Matt for responding so quickly. In all fairness, we did ask the same of the Exiles captain, but so far we have received no reply.

Swedish Men's Squads

At last the waiting is over and the squads for the forthcoming tests have been named. In our opinion they appear to be very strong squads and it's clear that Mike Tatu has put a lot of thought into this. What a pity though, that Stockholm Exiles have only one representative, why is that?


Truppen till Hollandsmatchen, Pilevallen 15.00 lordag 31/10

Viktor Pettersson	Enkoping RK
Bobby Nave	Enkoping RK
Olof Wadell	Enkoping RK
Tobias Borg	Enkoping RK
Matt Youngman	Enkoping RK
Tim Johansson	Enkoping RK
Ricky Okpu	Hammarby IF Rugby
Mattias Thorhard	Hammarby IF Rugby
Richard Johansson	Hammarby IF Rugby
Fredrik Casselhag	Hammarby IF Rugby
Roger de Jager	Hammarby IF Rugby
Rikard Ornberg	Vanersborgs RK
Alan Letele	Vanersborgs RK
Peter Wiklund	Vanersborgs RK
Alex Taylor	Nuneaton RFC
Andrew Daish	Nuneaton RFC
Sebastian Taylor	Old Haberdashers RFC
Lee Sandberg	North Walsham RFC
Paul Matthews	Goteborgs RK
Jan Olof Johansson	Spartacus RFC
Paul Sullivan	Stockholm Exiles RFC
Magnus Macdonald	London Scottish
Reserver pa hemmaplan:
Thomas Ardvisson	Fredriksberg RK
Hannes Ericsson	Hammarby IF Rugby
Eric Wickstrom	Hammarby IF Rugby
Andreas Bruhn	Goteborgs RK
Setareki Tegunimataka	Pingvin RC
Linus Hector	Vanersborgs RK
Ledare:
Peter Svensson	Team Manager
Mike Tatu	Forbundskapten
Mike Hale	Assistant Coach
Kari Tapper	Assistant Coach
Mats Nolkrantz	Physio
Bengt Lund	Material

Truppen till matchen mot Malta, pa Malta lordag 7/11

Viktor Pettersson	Enkoping RK
Olof Wadell	Enkoping RK
Tobias Borg	Enkoping RK
Matt Youngman	Enkoping RK
Tim Johansson	Enkoping RK
Ricky Okpu	Hammarby IF Rugby
Mattias Thorhard	Hammarby IF Rugby
Richard Johansson	Hammarby IF Rugby
Fredrik Casselhag	Hammarby IF Rugby
Roger de Jager	Hammarby IF Rugby
Rikard Ornberg	Vanersborgs RK
Alan Letele	Vanersborgs RK
Peter Wiklund	Vanersborgs RK
Alex Taylor	Nuneaton RFC
Andrew Daish	Nuneaton RFC
Sebastian Taylor	Old Haberdashers RFC
Lee Sandberg	North Walsham RFC
Paul Matthews	Goteborgs RK
Jan Olof Johansson	Spartacus RFC
Paul Sullivan	Stockholm Exiles RFC
Magnus Macdonald	London Scottish
Thomas Arvidsson	Fredriksberg RC
Reserver pa hemmaplan:
Hannes Ericsson	Hammarby IF Rugby
Eric Wickstrom	Hammarby IF Rugby
Andreas Bruhn	Goteborgs RK
Setareki Tegunimataka	Pingvin RC
Linus Hector	Vanersborgs RK
Ledare:
Peter Svensson	Team Manager
Mike Tatu	Forbundskapten
Mike Hale	Assistant Coach
Kari Tapper	Assistant Coach
Claire McKenna	Physio
Bengt Lund	Material

Jennings handed 12-week eye ban

Shane Jennings has been banned for 12 weeks after being found guilty of eye-gouging London Irish lock Nick Kennedy.
The Leinster flanker was cited following the defending champions' 12-9 Heineken Cup defeat to London Irish on Friday night in Dublin.
Kennedy reacted furiously to the incident during the game and accused Jennings of poking a finger in his eye, although he later claimed to have over-reacted.
At a European Rugby Cup Ltd disciplinary hearing in Dublin today, Jennings was found guilty of acting 'contrary to good sportsmanship in that he made contact with the eye or eye area of Nick Kennedy'.
The judicial officer Roger Morris from Wales decided the offence was at the low end of the scale and, having taken into account any mitigating and aggravating factors, he banned Jennings until January 6, 2010. Both parties have the right to appeal.
Jennings will miss eight matches for Leinster, starting with Saturday's Heineken Cup trip to Brive and including the back-to-back European encounters with the Scarlets.
He will be available again to Leinster for their Magners League game against Glasgow at the RDS on the second weekend of January.

In our view, there have been too many instances of this type of offence recently and we hope that it is not introduced into Sweden.

Food for Thought.

We were contemplating in the office this evening and eventually arrived at what we felt was a very important question. Do we have pizza or burger and chips? Now you might think, what has this got to do with Swedish Rugby? Well so did we, until like a light of bolting, it hit us. Do the players in this country take their diet and nutrition seriously enough to balance their needs, when it comes to health and fitness? Of course there will be some that do, but how many others seek advice regarding this? After all many players get advice regarding fitness training, but diet and nutrition, we just cannot guess. Be interesting to find out.

Countdown to the Women's World Cup. Begins!

We are pleased to see the publication of the players invited to the first training camp at the end of this month, which will be held in Goteborg. Some surprise omissions and inclusions in the list, with quite a few old faces and a few new ones. The returning FK has obviously his own ideas formulated presumably, from his previous experience in charge. As they are due to play Wales in November, it will be interesting to see who is selected for that trip. We would hazard a guess, that it probably will not be much different from the victorious EM squad, but like a lot of others, we will wait and see.
The next question that we have and it may be viewed in some areas as controversial. is, who will be the Captain? Will Jonas stick with the current incumbent, or go for someone completely new? There are one or two ex-captains who are on the list, or will he be bold and choose an unknown, for example 'Ygge' who, on her day is the outstanding forward in the country and had a sensational EM. We guess only time will tell.
The Squad is:-
Jennie Ehlin          Ulrika Andersson Hall    Ellinor Borjeson O'Brien
Lotta Abrahamsson    Jessica Berntsson     Erica Storkenfeldt
Sandra Eldfast            Anna Holmstrom      Susanne Nilsson
Henrietta Hogberg     Johanna Gustavsson  Sara Sexton
Jennie Ohman            Anna-Lena Swartz    Carolina Madsen
Lina Engdahl              Lina Matsson           Kerstin Lovendahl
Amanda Sandsborg   Louise Ericster         Annika Hector
Pauline Sarg              Elin Wallstrom          Ninni Giebat-Johansson
Jenny Sahlin              Fia Framling              Lina Norman  
Emma Wallering       Karin Hedlund           Minna Ahlstrom
Anna Larsson           Lina Olofsson            Sara Akermann   
Rebeka Sundell        Alexandra Johansson  Jennifer Lindholm
Malin Ericsson          Madeleine Lahti         Susanne Olofsson
Johanna Norberg      Therese Forsberg       Zofia Pershon
Katarina Bohman      Sofia Torstensson      Lotta Westin
Jennie Olsson           Malin Johansson         Elisabeth Osterberg
Elisabeth Ygge          Erika Andersson        Frida Rydberg  
Sofi Bjorkman          Jessica Melin              Elin Pettersson
Victoria Svangren     Cecilia Burebrink       Christel Fredriksson
Rebeka Lind          Rebecca Stafhammar    Karen Grudd               

So a predominance of players from Exiles and Goteborg, but will they all survive the cut to the squad?

Seconds Out, Round Two

After some careful consideration and a bit of subtle editing, which may or may not have included the use of a dictionary, we have now completed the reviews sent in by our ace reporters who were match side for the first of the finals. As the Ladies kicked off first, we thought that they should get top billing. Told you we were fair, so no accusations of sexism from the men please.
With bated breath, the excited mass of onlookers watched the gladiators take to the pitch, both teams were looking nervous as did the officials. Of, course the two coaches, Oscar and Guy probably had a slight tension in their stomachs also, as they neared the end of a long and tiring season spent training their respective athletes.
Uppsala started brightly and held the upper hand for the first quarter but without bothering the bright new scoreboard. Just after the quarter, Goteborg struck with a breakaway try and that signaled a complete turn around in the match. With Goteborg's confidence rising and Uppsala's wilting, the result was starting to appear to be a clear win for the team from the West. Guided by the experienced hand of their Fly Half, they started to mount up the points and although entertaining the close fought encounter that everybody predicted, didn't happen. Although in the latter stages of the match, the visiting team again started to dominate the play, it was to little too late. It would be a brave person to forecast Uppsala turning things around at home next week, but they did succeed two weeks ago. So can Guy can once again perform his magic or be outdone by Oscar? We shall see after all being 32-8 down is a big ask.

Due to a pitch invasion by a group of kids. Sorry, what was that?, (oh,that meant to read a display of Tag and Youth rugby. Actually it was entertaining to watch, well done to all those that took part.)

The Men's final kicked off a few minutes late, on a far from perfect surface, with water lying on top of the pitch in some areas and the field looking very heavy. This was going to have an effect on players as the game wore on, but right from the start Enkoping tore into Exiles and played at quite a fast tempo. One thing that stood out in those first twenty minutes was the dominance of the team in White. It soon became apparent that Exiles were struggling to play their game and could not get any decent ball. They were struggling at the set piece and were being outplayed in all departments. It wasn't long before Enkoping crossed the whitewash to score and continued to do so throughout the first half, with Exiles managing just one penalty. Just before half-time Enkoping mounted a ferocious attack in the Exiles half that contained some tremendous continuity, had they scored then, it would have probably sealed the match, but some heroic defending by Exiles resulted in the end, to a penalty being awarded to the Men in Black and they cleared their lines to end the half.
The majority of the crowd were discussing what the final score would be and if Exiles could keep the score below an achievable target . Few would have guessed anything else.
However, with the Exiles supporters, which included those Hammarby players that had only just lost to them the week before, Exiles started to turn the game around. More experienced players came on, the forwards started to get parity in the scrums and began to win their lineouts. The Enkoping forwards were starting to wilt and as a result lost their discipline, which eventually led to a yellow card against them. A couple of good scores reduced the lead and but for a missed penalty and a forward pass they would have taken the lead. Eventually Enkoping managed a penalty score in the second half, which was just enough and they kept the lead by 4 points to end 17-21 winners at the final whistle.
The referee had a fine match and controlled the game well and we hope that next week's will be as good.
An entertaining match and we are looking forward to the finale.

Wonderful Decision

Here at Trueswedenrugby, we are delighted to welcome the news that Rugby 7's has been admitted to the Olympic Games. So much so , that we decided to open a bottle of Champagne and celebrate, but please keep that to yourselves, we would hate it if you thought we used any excuse for a drink, hic.
Anyway, this has to be great news for the worldwide Rugby community and for the smaller playing nations in particular. Sweden must now take advantage and start to utilise every resource it has to promote this format of the game. Of course, if played and coached properly it is a different game to the 15 a side we generally see on the park and it really is not a game for all shapes and sizes. But, if it gets more people interested in our wonderful sport, that can only be to the benefit of the game. More players and hopefully spectators for the clubs which should. if the clubs are managed correctly, increase revenue which in turn will allow more promotion of the game. Self generating, if done properly.
So all in all a good day for the sport, which is why we have almost emptied the bottle now, plus, it's Friday and we feel like leaving a bit earlier to get to our local bar, just to spread the word of course. See, we have already started the promotional thought processes, good don't you think? hic..hic..

Sticks and Stones

We would just like to re-assure our readers, that this blog  was set up to reflect a fairer and more positive attitude towards Swedish Rugby. Of course we sometimes write with a sense of humour in our posts, which hopefully does not upset anyone. As we stated at the onset of this blog, we will react to information and topics from other blogs if we feel it is in the best interest of the game. As far as we are concerned we try to think that all of our readers will have opinions and some may wish to publish them. We gladly welcome them, even if they may criticise us, oh and in case you are interested there are a few of us who write this blog, but we decided to keep just the one psuedonym, which is Heineken, as we do not want to publicise ourselves, after all it's the game in Sweden that is important, is it not? Many thanks to teamswedenrugby for the free advertising, as you can see, we are nothing but generous, so we have returned the favour.

Team Sweden?

Breaking news via Reuters otherwise known as the grapevine. We are led to believe that the squad for Sweden to play against Holland and Malta has been selected and if correct, looks to be a strong squad, with the return of a few well known faces. These are the names that we have been informed are in,

Alex Taylor, Sebastian Taylor, Andrew Daish, Magnus McDonald, Lee Sandberg, Matthew Youngman, Viktor Petersson, Mattias Thorhard, Bobby Nave, Thomas Ardvisson, Paul Matthews, Tobias Borg, Ricky Opuku,
Richard Johansson, Fredrik Casselhag, Jan Olf Johansson, Paul Sullivan, Alan Letele, Olof Wadell, Peter Wiklund, Rikard Ornberg, Roger de Jager Tim Johansson.

Looks to be a well constructed squad by Mike Tatu and we wish them well for the matches.

Down To The Wire

Within a couple of days the mighty forces of Sweden will collide in an awesome display of thrust and counter thrust. The earth will shudder as the impact of warrior against warrior begins. Such a devastating show will let the onlookers know that they are witnessing an almighty spectacle! At the same time as the World Tiddlywinks Championships there will two other intriguing Rugby matches taking place. Yes, you guessed it, the finals will be upon us. First up, the mighty Goteborg Ladies against the formidable amazons from Uppsala. This will also see a battle of minds by the coaches of either team. On the one side is a Scotsman with a renowned reputation as a coach, someone who has tasted success before and true to his race has very short arms and very deep pockets. Which will probably get deeper if they win. But enough about Guy, what about the other coach, I hear you ask? Well the Goteborg coach has a slightly quieter approach to things, even if he does like to go on a bit. Those clever thoughts and ideas behind those dark smouldering eyes. Oscar, the Peruvian battlehip from the men's side, is the complete opposite of the fiery warrior from the Highlands. So whose side will be victorious? The elements could well have a part to play, so we will just watch with bated breath and probably a set of earplugs. 

After the apertif we have the main course, served up in the guise of Stockholm Exiles led by the charismatic Englishman, Paul Sullivan and Enkoping marshalled by the enigmatic Matthew Youngman. Black against White, Good against Evil, this is just the stuff that goes to make a good western. So will the good guys come out on top? or will the Men in Black topple them? This will be close and weather permitting it should be an entertaining match, probably with a few fireworks here and there. If both teams play as well as they can, then there should be plenty to enjoy. There is some good news and some bad news for those Kiwis playing. So, we will spill the beans now. The good news, Wayne Barnes is not refereeing :) the bad news, the referee who is, learn't everything he knows from Wayne. Good luck to both teams!

Sometime Soon?

At last, some information is starting to appear with regards to the Men's National Team, it might be dripping out but expect the flow to increase shortly.
Players, we understand have been asked about a training camp the weekend before the Holland Test. Is this wise? Obviously there is a need to view how players react when they are working towards a common goal and whether they can match up to the standards that are required at International Level. We are aware that there has been a selector watching matches and presumably certain players and how they are performing. So quite clearly, there has been communication within the management team, which is headed by the youthful Mike Tatu, ( who are the others in the set up?) but how many players have they watched? This we cannot answer, at the moment, however we will endeavour to find out this information. Suffice to say, we believe that Mike will get things right and he will do things his way. What coach wouldn't? and we know that he will have his critics, but given time he is clearly the best man for the job in Sweden.
It will be interesting however to see the selection of the Squad, which barring injuries would probably be the same for both tests, considering the lack of time available between them. Can we expect to see some new faces?, has anyone performed so well that they cannot be left out?, will there be a return of some old faces?. Who, if any, will be dropped? Intriguing really, but we guess that it will not be too long before the squad is published and then the expectation will be over, not only for us, but the players who are longing to make it. My, it's almost worthy of a short story, don't you think?

Almost There

Despite the inclement weather, the results this weekend almost went the way of all the home teams. Hammarby being the one's to rock the boat. Alas although they won, it was not by enough points to secure a place in the finals. Was that, one wonders, because of  ill discipline last week? Still they run Exiles close this year and let's hope that they can build on this for next year and that they don't fall away like GRF have after also coming close to making the finals last year. Enkoping, who must surely be the favourites now, duly run up a big score against Pingvin, a squad that does not travel well. Will be an interesting couple of games but we expect the team wearing white shirts, yes they are white underneath all the sponsors logos, to come out victors over the two matches.
Uppsala Ladies produced a fine display against Enkoping in the home leg of their semi-finals and it was a pleasure to watch. Guy must have worked his magic this week to inspire that performance and overcome the loss last week by more than enough points to make the finals. If they perform like this in those matches then the opponents will have their work cut out. Those opponents? well no real surprise either. After last weeks win away at Exiles by 19 points, GRF emerged victorious at home in what was a pretty sub-standard game by all accounts, with both teams performing below the expected levels. This may have been due to the weather, who knows? Let's just hope that the finals will produce some quality rugby for the spectators.

What about the play offs for the Men's Elite. Again home wins for both sides. Spartacus out muscled Vanersborg in a very scrappy and tense game. The weather did not help but, according to our reporter on the touchline, it was well controlled by the referee. So Spartacus will have the chance of consolidating their position in the Elite and will hopefully try and improve their record next year.
Finally, GRF scraped home against Attila in a game that they could quite easily have lost if the opposition had taken the chances that came their way. According to reports, the GRF coach was pulling his hair out, well he would have done if he had any, but he was clearly distraught at his sides performance. It always seems to be the case, that without their playmaker, and he was injured for this match, GRF cannot play.

Pulling Together

Well for once things did not go the way the President of the United States of America would have liked. The 2016 Olympic Games will be held in Rio De Janerio, fantastic! What a wonderful place to showcase the fast flowing game of Rugby 7's.
We are predicting that the IOC will confirm 7's as an Olympic Sport and as such the game of Rugby will get a much needed boost in Sweden. If the members of the Board take advantage of the opportunities that this will bring, then Rugby as a whole will be the winner. Obviously, next year the Women's  15's World Cup will be to the fore, with the National Squad having qualified to compete in it, ( there cannot be enough praise given to the players and all the coaching and management staff who helped to achieve this unique feat in Swedish Rugby history). However, every effort should be made to glean as much publicity from it, as is possible. We have every confidence that the Men's National Squads,will start to move forward, although qualification for the World Cups may be a bit too far off at the moment. Allied with the progress that the developing squads are making, there appears to be a bright future for the game in Sweden. So, a united front from all Clubs and supporters of this wonderful game can only be of benefit. Come on, let's cut out all the destructive criticism then others will see that we are all pulling together.