Husband and wife team Bethany Burrow and James Atherton will represent the UK at the Sjoelen World Cup in the Netherlands in August. They will compete against players from across the world at the tournament, which will take place in Beneden-Leeuwen from 31 August to 2 September. This is the first time that the UK has had representation in the World Cup – the UK is not a traditional Sjoelen-playing country.
The World Cup has been postponed twice due to the Covid pandemic. Bethany said, “The opportunity to represent my country has been worth waiting for and, to be honest, it’s given us extra time to practice, but it’s been a hard time for the organisers.”
Competition is expected to be stiff at the tournament, with strong teams from the Netherlands and Sweden competing against players from many other countries.
In UK terms, Bethany is a veteran of the sport, having learned to play as a child, while James is a relative newcomer. He learned to play after Bethany encouraged him to get a Sjoelen board for his brewery, Beerblefish Brewing Co., a couple of years ago.
On their chances in the World Cup, James said, “Let’s face it, we’re not there to win against the Dutch superstars, but this is a starting point for the UK team and will hopefully put the country on the map as one that plays Sjoelen.”
Wow amazing Bethany. Worth sending in a report o the Old Coventrian newsletter. I am trying to feature some of our amazing female OC .
Good luck both of you I’m sure we will all be proud of you.
Best wishes from the Irish Team ( The Green Dream Team ). We look forward to playing you !