Ruislip Eagles gear up for cup final

Ruislip Eagles are preparing to take part in the England Handball Association Cup final for the third time in four years.

The Eagles will face Salford HC on Saturday at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre – where entrance is free – and they will be attempting to regain the trophy they won in 2010.

That triumph against Manchester HC three years ago was a great moment for the west London club, who were beaten twice by this weekend’s opponents in the league this season so know they face a tough challenge.

Last year’s Olympics highlighted the growing popularity of handball, which is one of the country’s fastest-growing sports and is hugely popular in parts of Europe.

And this weekend’s clash promises to be a cracker – certainly if the Eagles’ thrilling semi-final victory against London GD in April is anything to go by.

Having gone behind early on, lost influential playmaker Akos Weress to injury and then had Fredrik Charpentier red-carded, they battled back to win 29-26 and book their place in the final.

The National Sports Centre is on Ledrington Road, London, SE19 2BB, and the schedule for Saturday’s EHA finals is as follows:

11:00: Manchester Hawks v Cannock (Under-18s girl’s final)
12:30: Warrington Wolves v Tarporley (Under-18s boy’s final)
14:30: Thames HC v London GD (Women’s final)
16:30: Ruislip Eagles v Salford (Men’s final)

For more news, go to www.ruislipeagleshandball.co.uk or contact Ruislip Eagles via Facebook or Twitter – @RuislipEagles.

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