The Solna Axemen are well represented in the Swedish Elks 9-a-side national team at the 2011 Euro Cup in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Veteran Axemen Joel Tjernlund, Sean Donnelly and German ruckman/enforcer Mats Wurmbach have been selected in the squad.

Furthermore, the Axemen’s premiership winning coach, Adrian “Patch” Knee, will be putting the team through its charges at the tournament with “runner” assistance from Axeman and Wandsworth Demons journeyman Tristan Smith.

The Elks have a good history in the tournament finishing runners-up in 2005 in London, winners in 2007 in Hamburg and 4th place in 2008 in Prague. Strangely Sweden didn’t enter a team in 2009 and 2010 which was unfortunate as more 9-a-side games are played in Sweden than any other format and the Elks would have been expected to finish strongly in both 2009 and 2010 as well.

Nevertheless, the Elks are back and hoping for a high finish, if not victory in this years tournament.  They will need to start well as they have dark-horses Italy and Germany in probably the tournaments “pool of death”.  Anyone can win this pool and it may just take a little “rub of the Irish green” to finish in first place and head into the gold medal round.

LIVE streaming of games is available here during the Tournament.