Student nurses win Australian Rules Football Euro Cup Champions
Three student nurses from King’s College London are celebrating after their Australian Rules Football England squad triumphed at the 2015 Axios Euro in Umag, Croatia.
Lucy Cook, Jen Bennett and Jo Riseley are studying a Postgraduate Diploma in Adult Nursing at the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and are part of the England Vixens team, the AFL England Women’s national side with representatives from across the country.
They competed with 12 other English players against other European teams. Twelve men’s teams and six women’s teams battled it out in a 9-a-side tournament to take the titles of the Axios AFL Europe Euro Cup Champions earlier this month (10 October).
The tournament saw the England Vixens team go comfortably through the group stage with strong wins against Sweden and France, before going up against host nation Croatia in the semi-finals.
They won the match by a colossal 88 points to 0, progressing to the final against Denmark’s Valkyries. They started the final strong and won the game by 54 points to 6.
Graduating next summer, the three future nurses only took up the sport after moving to London last year for their course. Jen, Jo and Lucy all regularly play in the women's AFL London league that started this year.
Lucy, who plays for the South East London Giants said: "I took up AFL in London to exercise and de-stress after long days on the wards. I never expected I would be selected for the England team. It has been a great experience.”
Defender Jo Riseley commented: “This is a great example of modelling healthy behaviour to other staff and patients. Any type of team sport is a great way to let off steam, improve your fitness and build teamwork skills that are vital for nursing. I particularly enjoy running off the pressures of an intense shift.”
The London teams will start recruiting for next season from January 2016 and encourage other nurses and student nurses to join in.
Wimbledon Hawks and England forward Jen said: “Now is a great time to get involved. The sport is beginning to take off for women, with clubs and leagues forming across the country. The unique nature of the game means the majority of players aren't coming from a football background, but they are bringing skills and knowledge gained from other sports to Aussie Rules.”
Lousie Barriball, Interim Dean for Education at the Faculty said: “On behalf of all students and staff in the Faculty – many congratulations. This is a tremendous achievement especially as Lucy, Jen and Jo have to manage lots of demands on their time. This is a reminder to all of us that pursing activities that stimulate and challenge us away from study or work is important and rewarding.”
Ian Baxter, England Vixens Head Coach said: “So very proud of my Vixens. They gave everything I asked of them and then some more. To become European Champions is one thing but to do it in such style is another. The best thing about this group is that they are nowhere near their potential. The best is yet to come!”
Notes to Editors:
1. For more information about the teams, please visit Vixens, Wimbledon Hawkes and London Giants.
2. Australian Rules Football (‘Aussie Rules’) is Australia’s most popular winter sport, regularly attracting 90,000 strong crowds.
3. It is the world’s oldest codified footballing code with its rules first written in 1859 and is traditionally it’s played on cricket ovals with 18 players a-side.
4. Aussie Rules is increasingly popular in Europe. The game combines attributes of many sports; people may already be familiar with, such as football, rugby, Gaelic football and basketball.
5. Played over 4 x 20 minute quarters, with unlimited interchanges, it creates a fast paced, free flowing high scoring game that’s both fun to play and enthralling to watch.