The 2012 Eurobowl tournament increases to 14 teams including 8 national championship teams, last year’s EFL silver medalist, two national runner-ups, and Austria’s 3rd, 4th, and 5th ranked clubs. The most competitive international competition for 2012 should provide plenty of excitement.
Last season’s highlights were the Swedish Carlstad Crusaders knocking off the German Kiel Baltic Hurricanes in the group stage, and the Swiss Calanda Broncos destroying everyone on their way to the quarterfinal. The Vienna Vikings staved off elimination by a 7 point win over Calanda only to fall short to the eventual champion Innsbruck Raiders by a walk off field goal in the semi-final. The Graz Giants beat the Carlstad Crusaders in the quarterfinal and then gave up a 21-0 lead in Berlin to lose to the Adler. In the final the Raiders controlled the game winning the Eurobowl crown over the team from north Germany.
Group A of this year’s tournament has the defending Austrian and European champion, Innsbruck Raiders, waiting in the quarterfinal round for the winner between the Danube Dragons (AUT) and the Prague Panthers (CZ). The Dragons had this same matchup last sea
son beating the Panthers 38-21 in late April only to lose on the road against the Berlin Adler in the quarterfinal round. With all three teams competing in the Austrian Football League that kicks off in March they will know plenty about one another well before the European matchups take place.
Group B provides an interesting set of clubs that have all different recent history events. The Graz Giants won in the quarterfinal over Swedish Champion Carlstad Crusaders but like their
Austrian counterpart, Danube, lost in Berlin in the following round. The Giants, who finished 3rd in Austria a year ago await the winner between the Calanda Broncos of Switzerland and the Helsinki Wolverines from Finland’s capital. The Broncos and Wolverines were each league champions this past season, the Broncos have won the Swiss league in each of the past three seasons, while the Wolverines won the Finnish league in upset fashion for their first ever title giving them another chance to compete in international competition.
Group C is the firs
t of the tournaments two traditional groups. The Vienna Vikings who lost only to eventual champion Innsbruck in two separate elimination games awaits the group winner of the Badalona Dracs (ESP), the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns (GER), and the Parma Panthers (IT). The Dracs lost two games in last seasons group stage to the then French champion L’Amiens and were the second best team in Spain losing to L’Hospitalet in the final. They do however have success in the EFL, most recently in 2010 exiting the group stage to face the same Vienna Vikings in the quarterfinal. Schwabisch Hall is the other newcomer to the tournament having never faced another team in international play before. Their thrilling stand at the end of the German Championship to beat Kiel secures them the chance to show their might amongst Europe’s best. The Parma Panthers, back to back Italian champions won one game in the EFL last year, yet lost the other disallowing them to move past the group stage. They are back for another shot at reaching the elimination round.
Group D has three
champions in the group stage vying to compete against Germany’s 7th best team from 2011. The setup of the tournament allows for previous season semi-finalists to have automatic berths, therefore despite the Berlin Adler’s performance in their league, their European victories over Austria’s Danube and Graz have them as a quarterfinalist for 2012. The Spanish, French, and England’s champions face off for the chance to head to Germany’s capital. The L’Hospitalet Pioners lost both of their group matchups last season but beat the Badalona Dracs, fellow EFL contender, 24-8 in the LNFA final giving them a shot at redemption this year. The Paris Flash missed out on European competition last season but have regrouped after winning the French final 45-27 against Grenoble and vie to do one better than 2009’s EFL runner-up finish. Finally, the London Blitz return to the Eurobowl after having competed in the EFAF’s B tournament the EFAF Cup the past two seasons. The Blitz won the British championship as well as the EFAF Cup in 2011 as the only other 2 title champ besides the Raiders.
All of these teams except one will kickoff their league competition between January and April prior to this tournament kicking off. The Helsinki Wolverines will have their season opener in this tournament against the Broncos of Calanda due to the season in Finland not starting until later in May. Stay tuned to all the action forthcoming.
