The futsal team from St. Mary's University in Twickenham are fundraising to compete in the EUSA Futsal European Universities Championship.

Futsal is a FIFA-recognised form of five-a-side indoor football, respected for the technical skill required to play in the smaller space.

The St. Mary's team have been given the chance to compete in Zagreb, Croatia this July.

Ahmed El Hana, team coach, said: "Representing England is a massive opportunity for the boys to grow as individuals and as futsal players. 

"We have had a reflection of how good the local community is already. We went out fundraising on Sunday and a lot of local companies have been very supportive."

The team have qualified for the event due to their ranking as British Premier title contenders.

They started as underdogs in league two last year, but are now competing at the top of league one.

Originally they were meant to be funded by St. Mary's University, but this funding fell through due to low recruitment and university policy issues.

The players hope to raise enough to play in the EUSA Futsal European Universities Championship (credit: St. Mary's Men's Futsal).

El Hana said: "For people to donate to this would be amazing, we would be forever grateful. At the end of the day, we're students trying to survive and grow in difficult times.

"All the boys are multi-tasking work and futsal to make this happen. We have had to pay the £3,000 deposit from our own pockets. Some of us have even had to cover for others, as teammates do."

The Futsal championship has been running for 14 years, and has been held in Zagreb twice before.

Up to 24 men's teams and 16 women's teams from across Europe are expected to compete over the course of one week in four major Zagreb sports venues. 

The European Universities Sports Association said: "The competition is known for its fierce rivalry and high-quality futsal, partly due to the fact that many players balance their sporting careers alongside their academic studies or professional work."

The team have a GoFundMe page, but will also be out fundraising in Twickenham.

You can donate at their GoFundMe page.