IF you’ve driven past Mildura’s Sarah Oval on a Sunday afternoon, chances are you caught a glimpse of Sunraysia Swordcraft in full swing.
With members decked out in carefully crafted, medieval-inspired outfits, from handmade coats and leather sheathing to full sets of steel armour complete with chainmail, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d momentarily stepped back in time.
Transformed into their fictional characters, the players meet each weekend to skirmish (though, only with rubber weapons), pillage imaginary villages and do whatever else it takes to complete that week’s objective.
Callan Walton established Sunraysia’s chapter of the national live action role play (LARP) community in 2018, after attending a game in Melbourne, which often boast hundreds of players.
He said despite what people might think, the games weren’t too different from regular sports played on ovals.
“It is a unique sport and it’s 100 per cent physical,” he said.
“You can’t run around a field in a full suit of armour and think you’re not going to break out a sweat and cop a few bruises.
“Like any sport, you’ve got the team, you’ve got the objective and at the end of it, there’s no hard feelings.”
After almost 10 months off of the field, the group returned with a game in early December, which member Imogen Rosher said was met with incredible enthusiasm.
“It was really good, I think people forgot how much they loved it,” she said.
“The time away gave people time to work on their kits; we’ve had a lot of people showing us what they created at home.”
Member Matt Eyles said Swordcraft offered a space for creativity and friendships to flourish.
“It’s definitely a creative outlet, especially with the costuming and creating your character,” he said.
“There’s a really great sense of comradery among players, and we all have our own warbands, which I guess are similar to sporting teams.
“A lot of people who are into LARPing are also into other gaming, like computer games and fantasy fiction, like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.
“It’s great if you’re into acting and theatre, too,” Ms Rosher added.
“We all put on an accent when we’re in character, it’s all very immersive.
“I guess it’s just a chance to not think about being yourself for a couple of hours — to just be someone else.
“It’s very freeing in that way and I know it’s helped people with social anxiety and things like that.”
With the group swelling to about 15 regular players, Mr Eyles encouraged others to join when play resumes on January 17.
“All you need is to wear comfortable clothing; we can help new players with everything else,” he said.
“People who look at coming here can have a few reservations about coming along, but once they get into it there’s no going back,” Mr Walton said.
To inquire, see the Sunraysia Swordcraft Facebook group.
