We might not be going to the FIFA World Cup but folks, we've found something to fill the void! This Sunday, the 2018 World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) World U24 Ultimate Championships get underway in Perth, Australia with Ireland entering one team in the Men’s Division.
The first game starts at 7am Irish time on Sunday with hosts Australia facing India in the Mixed Division. The Irish lads play their first game on Monday at 3am Irish time against China, followed by Switzerland at 9am Irish time.
Ireland face Great Britain at 5am Irish time on Tuesday morning before the 16 teams in the Men’s Division are divided into new groups of four. Ireland already beat GB at one of their warmup tournaments back in June before the final squad of 23 was chosen.
“Obviously, GB are big rivals for us and it will be a highly anticipated matchup for everyone back home, but we are not going to get ahead of ourselves thinking about the future. We want to focus on the now and win the moment,” said Ranelagh and UCD player. Ferdia Rogers. who is captaining the Irish team alongside Dylan Ryan. of Limerick based club team. PELT.
video: Conor Hogan
Games will be broadcast during the seven-day tournament on the WFDF YouTube channel with the broadcast schedule available on the tournament website and you can follow the lads’ progress there or on their Facebook page.
Ultimate, commonly known as Ultimate Frisbee or just Frisbee, is played seven versus seven with substitutes allowed between points and for injuries.
Teams score in a similar manner as they do in American Football by passing the disc and catching it in the opposition’s end-zone. Players have 10 seconds to pass the disc in any direction, but they cannot run while in possession of the disc.
One of the most unique aspects of ultimate is that it is self-refereed with a major reliance on players to play within the rules and spirit of the game.
WFDF was granted full recognition by the International Olympic Committee back in 2015. The Irish disc sports’ governing body, Irish Flying Disc Association (IFDA), are hoping to have an update by the end of this month about their latest Irish Sports Council application and what they need to add to resubmit their bid according to IFDA President, Jen Kwan.
Featured Image: Ireland U24 Men's Ultimate Team
