
15 February 2024
"We have a great community both on and off the pitch"
At StiL Sportcenter, students will find 21 different sections dealing with everything from major sports such as basketball and ice hockey, to more unusual sports such as underwater rugby, a sport that we will now learn more about.
We met with StiL Underwater Rugby to get to know the association a bit more. There are students, former students, PhD students and master students from all over the world who create a wonderful community. The association is located at Pontusbadet in central Luleå where they meet twice a week. Markus Bergman tells us about his association.
Hi! Tell us a little about your association!
- We are a group of people who love to swim and meet twice a week. The association has existed since 2005 and is connected to StiL Sportcenter. Some of our members have been in the club for 10-15 years, but most are quite new. We have grown a lot in recent years. A few years ago there were three or four of us at each training session. Now there are 15-20 of us! So it's fun! We try to have a welcoming community that makes all newcomers feel well received. We play league games, go to tournaments, but we also have activities beyond underwater rugby such as skiing, team building and things like that.
Underwater rugby, explain that sport to someone who has no idea!
- The sport itself is challenging and it is easier if you are a swimmer. But you don't have to be, you can still enjoy the sport. You can see it a bit like this: when you have set up the game, it is handball but under water. The goal is a basket at the bottom of the pool and each team has three positions with two players in each position. You dive for 5-10 seconds and then switch with your teammate playing in the same position.
What is the appeal of the sport?
- There are a lot of special sensory expressions. You hold your breath and swim with fins under water. You become very agile and it is a bit like flying, you can move in all dimensions. It creates a very special feeling compared to most other sports that are played in two dimensions. Because you're holding your breath, it's very important to interact with your teammates, especially those playing in the same position.
How do you do if you are curious about becoming a member of your association?
- The best thing is to follow us on Instagram, where you can get a good grip on what it is about and see when we have open training sessions. You can also go to StiL's reception and ask to come to a training, then you can get a trial membership and come to the training for free!
Finally: what is the best thing about your association and studying at LTU?
- It is that you are invited into a good community and you get a common goal, to get better no matter what your level of ambition is. In the beginning, the sport is very difficult, but after just a few training sessions, most people usually get a foothold and then it suddenly becomes very fun and a wonderful incentive to work towards being more and more involved. Then we have a wonderful community both on and off the field.
- Since all the students live so close to campus, it's a very good community. It is close at hand to socialize and find activities. When many come from far away, there is a great willingness to get involved in associations, unions and sports. Once you find people with the same interests, you have a lot of fun together.
Curious about Stil Underwater Rugby?
" StiL's website External link, opens in new window.
" StiL underwater rugby on Instagram External link, opens in new window.

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