History will be made next Sunday, when the Israeli national American football team takes part in its first official international game against Spain.
If Israel wins, it will qualify to compete in the International Federation of American Football’s B-Group International Tournament in 2016.
The best players of the Israeli Football League (IFL) are represented in the national team, with players hailing from all nine local teams. Among those taking part will be 3-time reigning league MVP Dani Eastman from Neve Daniel in Gush Etzion, who plays for the Judean Rebels, along with Johnathon Curran of the Ramat Hasharon Hammers on the coast, and Assaf Katz of the Tel Aviv Pioneers.
A new addition to the national team is former University of Michigan quarterback Alex Swieca, who played with the Israeli league's Jerusalem Lions while taking part in a Young Judea year course in 2011-12, and went on to be the league's MVP that year.
Despite being entitled to play at Michigan for another year because he was in Israel for his freshman year, he decided instead to come back to Israel.
"I am so excited to have an opportunity to represent the State of Israel in Europe with my fellow teammates” Swieca said. “But I am also hoping to spend time this year promoting American Football throughout Israel and getting even more Israelis excited about the sport.”
Swieca made a comic video earlier this month about his decision to play football in Israel rather than stay in the US.
watch Spain vs Israel live:
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