Womens Handball International

26 Sep 09

Sport: Arena

Ticket Prices: Adult - £7.50 (1st child free with every adult ticket - call 0844 8000 400 to claim). Child/OAP: £3.00.

Echo Arena Liverpool is set to play host to the final leg of a thrilling clash between the Great Britain Women's handball team and their rivals from Finland this Autumn.

The venue will host the match on September 26, following the opening leg in Finland earlier that week, with the winners facing a tough group stage with France, Austria and Iceland as they bid to qualify for the finals of the 2010 European Championships with group games scheduled for October, April and May.

Handball is a fast moving contact sport where the players must throw the ball into the opposing net. They make progress up the court by throwing or bouncing the ball, and the combination of speed with tackling often creates a full-on spectacle.

The winners of the qualifying match will face France in the next stage, a side who won the World Championship in 2003.

The Great Britain versus Finland clash will begin at 6pm, but beforehand will be the finals of a Liverpool Schools Tournament, with the winners receiving the honour of being mascots for the international game.

The first leg of the clash with Finland takes place on Wednesday, September 23, at the Pirkkola Sports Hall in Helsinki.

The match at the Echo Arena will give the growing band of British handball supporters a rare chance to see the national side on home soil.

GB Women warmed up for their forthcoming European Championship clashes with a successful training camp and tournament in Italy.

The team played four matches in the mini tournament against top Italian and Austrian club sides, and were narrowly beaten in the final after a strong performance from many of the squad.

Head coach Jesper Holmris said: “It was a great chance for us to prepare for the European Championship qualification matches against Finland in three weeks, and it was also a great opportunity to play against a different style of handball.”

For more details about the Finland matches please go to www.britishhandball.com

EVENT SCHEDULE:
3pm - Doors
4pm - Pre-match Activity
6pm - Main Event