Pigskin comes to Poland

Every year around this time, touchdown-loving American expats go through the agony of being almost completely cut off from their country's most popular sport, as the excitement of American football begins to heat up stateside.

What many Americans living here may not know, however, is that Poland's very own American football league begins play this Sunday, October 8, as the Warsaw Eagles take on the First American Football Club in Wielkopolska Fireballs in Łódź at 1pm. These teams have been joined by another two this year, the Wrocław Crew and the Pomorze (Tri-city) Seahawks. Fans in Poland will be able to come out and watch all the teams compete against each other throughout October and November, with the season culminating in a championship battle in Warsaw on November 12.

Soon the Polish American Football Association (PZFA) hopes to add teams from Kraków, Łomża, Łódź, Silesia and Szczecin.

"American football is considered one of the most rapidly growing sports in our country," says PZFA's president Jędrzej Stęszewski. "Some people might guess that most of the players are Americans. But in reality, the vast majority of players are Poles."

For more information visit www.pzfa.pl