A popular Finnish leisure activity is capturing the Aussie sporting spirit. Set to be the “pub sport of the summer” (sorry lawn bowls), Finska is making waves down under among a surprisingly young audience.
Thanks to the “Finskaroos,” a Finska team made up of a band of new mates and old school friends (some of who are actual brothers) who have been competing together since 2022, the sport is being captured in hilarious and viral moments on the team’s Instagram and TikTok.
Recently claiming bronze at the 2026 Finska World Championships in Helsinki (out of 512 teams), the Finskaroos have become legitimate and formidable players. Led by a veteran coach in Damien Landais, the team has improved drastically because of Landais’ strategic focus on “the finish”. Rather than figuring out how to win as they play, the Finskaroos now plan and calculate how they’ll win from the moment they step on the field.
Tobey Tarasov (filmmaker and Finskaroo) sat down with Maddie Adams to share the Finskaroo’s game secrets and why he thinks the game captures the Aussie sporting spirit so well. It’s backyard cricket meets darts meets bowls, except with woodblocks.
You can hear all about the team, the sport itself and why you should be playing it this summer in our “Sports” episode of AFTRS FM, wherever you like to listen to podcasts.
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