Jerseys as far as the eye can see, huge helmets on Odeonsplatz, a sold-out Allianz Arena at the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: the NFL took control of Munich last weekend, and the enthusiasm for American football has spread outside the city.
But not everywhere sports are played, millions of dollars flow in and fans line up to see the stars. On Saturday, one day before the match in Munich, the 22nd edition of the “Ladies Bowl”, the final of the Austrian championship, took place in Telfs in Tyrol.
Dauerchamp Vikings
Unlike the game in Munich, the game was clear: the Vienna Vikings Ladies won 48-0 over the Telfs Patriots. Antonia Loicht, who took over at quarterback after a teammate was injured, was unstoppable. The Viennese once again emphasized their dominance. They won the final for the 20th time in a row. The team is the women’s section of the Vienna Vikings, whose men’s team won the European League of Football this year.
“I’ve been feeling fit again since this morning,” says Loicht, who was voted the game’s most valuable player. “But the next couple days were tough.” Zach was not only injured after the game, but also the trip before. The bus left at 3am and the players looked a little crumpled when they alighted in Telfs just after 9am. Life as a footballer is long and expensive. Although the club has paid for the bus to the final, players must arrange and pay for their own travel and accommodation for regular season matches. The team must also pay for food and equipment. There is also a monthly membership fee of 49 euros to keep the training area on Ravelinstraße in Vienna-Simmering in good shape. “Players who are still studying can hardly afford it,” says Susanne Kerschbaumer, who started with the Vikings in 2013. “It’s hard to find new people.” You can see it in the league. Three teams competed in the league this year, up from six in 2016.
Institutional support is manageable. In the social media of the Austrian association, the AFBÖ, you can find many rumors about men’s and youth games, but content about the Ladies Bowl is rare. In 2021, the women’s national team was also discontinued. In 2019 he finished last at the European Championships, but in 2015 it was enough for fourth place. “Of course, our performance wasn’t great, but we had to pay most of the travel expenses ourselves,” says Kerschbaumer. “If no one supports us, our record is no wonder.”
search for sponsors
The team is currently looking for a sponsor, mainly to reduce the financial expenses of the trip. With 5,000 euros a year, a lot would be done, the players say. Vikings don’t take many breaks anyway. They take a month off from training, after which they will start preparing for the next season, which starts in September. “You rarely feel as alive as you do on an American football field,” says Loicht. “We love this sport. It’s worth all the effort for us.”
