Month: December 2012

IAFL-1 Schedule Published

The 2013 IAFL-1 schedule was formally launched today. IAFL-1 is the IAFL’s new second tier of 11-a-side full kitted football and features seven teams from various parts of the country. Tullamore Phoenix and Dublin Dragons, who both played in the IAFL’s top division in 2012 are joined by former DV8s teams – Drogheda Lightning and Meath Bulldogs and 3 newcomers – Mullingar Minotaurs, North Kildare Reapers and Waterford Wolves.

2013 will be the first time in the history of the sport that there will be two levels of 11-a-side kitted football in Ireland. The 17 teams participating across both levels is also the most in the history of the sport.

The season will kick off on 3rd March with games in Tullamore and Waterford.  Each of the seven participating teams will play an 8 game regular season. There are no play-offs – the top team will get automatic promotion to the Shamrock Bowl Conference.

[matches league_id=36 season=2013 mode=all template=iafl-weeks]

2013 Shamrock Bowl Conference

[standings league_id=36 season=2013 mode=extend]

2013 Shamrock Bowl Conference Schedule Published

The 2013 Shamrock Bowl Conference schedule was formally launched at noon today. The Shamrock Bowl Conference (SBC) is the IAFL’s elite division featuring the 10 best teams in the country, all seeking to win the Irelands National Championship – the Shamrock Bowl.

The season will kick off on 17th February with the annual Colours match between Trinity College and UCD. Defending Shamrock Bowl Champions, the Belfast Trojans open their season away to the Craigavon Cowboys on February 24th. Each of the 10 participating teams will play an 8 game regular season schedule with the top 3 in each of the 2 divisions qualifying for the play-offs. Shamrock Bowl XXVII, will take place in Tallaght Stadium on Saturday 20th July. The schedule for the second tier of league football, called IAFL-1, with be launched shortly.

[matches league_id=35 season=2013 mode=all template=iafl-weeks]

2013 Shamrock Bowl Conference

[standings league_id=35 season=2013 group=north mode=extend]
[standings league_id=35 season=2013 group=south mode=extend]

Irish American Football League announces 2013 League Line-up

Biggest ever expansion – 6 more teams playing full league football.

Today, the Irish American Football League (IAFL) announced that the number of teams playing a full league schedule is expanding from 11 to 17 teams for the 2013 season. This is the biggest expansion in the history of the sport in Ireland. The addition of 6 teams to the line-up playing full rules kitted football has also necessitated a restructuring of the IAFL into two Divisions.

The Shamrock Bowl Conference (SBC) will be the elite division featuring the 10 best teams in the country, all seeking to win the Irelands National Championship – the Shamrock Bowl. The second tier of league football, called IAFL-1, with feature the remaining 7 teams, including most of the newcomers. IAFL-1 is expected to expand further in future years as more development teams come to fruition.

The IAFL has also announced that it is setting up a Youth Kitted League, using the DV8s format, to commence in August 2013. The game schedules for both the Shamrock Bowl Conference and IAFL-1 will be announced shortly.

Shamrock Bowl Conference:

North:                                                            

Belfast Trojans                                               

Dublin Rebels                                                

West Dublin Rhinos                                       

Carrickfergus Knights                                    

Craigavon Cowboys      

South:    

Univ. of Limerick Vikings            

Trinity College Dublin    

U.C.D.            

Cork Admirals 

DCU Saints

Each team will play each other team in their division home and away, with the top 3 teams in each qualifying for the Shamrock Bowl play-offs. The league will kick-off in late February. Shamrock Bowl XXVII will be played in Tallaght Stadium on Saturday 20th July 2013. The lowest ranked team will be relegated to IAFL-1.

This years line-up features the top 9 teams from the IAFL’s 2012 line-up alongside the DCU Saints, who return to the IAFL after a 2 year absence.

IAFL-1:

Tullamore  Phoenix

Dublin Dragons

Drogheda Lightning

Meath Bulldogs

Mullingar Minotaurs

North Kildare Reapers

Waterford Wolves

This years line-up features the 10th and 11th placed teams in last years IAFL, Tullamore and Dublin Dragons; Drogheda and Meath, who are stepping up after 2 years in the the IAFL’s development league and newcomers from Mullingar, North Kildare and Waterford. Each team will play a full 8 game regular season, with the winner being promoted to the Shamrock Bowl Conference. The league will run from March to August.

Background to Expansion:

American football is the fastest expanding field sport in Europe at the moment – and Ireland is no exception. Active membership of the Irish American Football Association (IAFA) has increased eight fold over the past decade and looks set to continue expanding over the coming years. Each of the new teams has been active for between 1 and 3 years in our development league or as formative teams. The formation of these teams has not come about due to any recent high profile events – they are a product of long term domestic development strategies and the hard work of the grassroots members involved in each. A further 3 teams – Galway, South Kildare and Ulster-Coleraine are in the formative stages and a team from Dundalk has recently applied for formative status.

Background on the IAFA:

The IAFA is the National Governing Body for American football in Ireland. The IAFL is a full contact, fully kitted American football league using NCAA rules i.e. those used in top level college football in the USA. IAFL teams generally have squad sizes of c.35-50 registered players. The IAFA is a member of the European Federation of American Football (EFAF) – a pan-European organisation dedicated to the development of American football that currently has over 120,000 registered players in 32 countries.

IAFL AGM – 4 new teams to play in 2013

The IAFL AGM took place earlier today in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dublin. The highlight of the meeting was the admission of a number of new clubs including 4 who will play competitive football in 2013. The new mulit-tiered league structure was also approved.

A reformed DCU Saints club will return to the league after a 2 year absence and will join the new top division – the Shamrock Bowl Conference – in 2013. The SBC will feature the top 10 teams in Irish football.

Mullingar Minotaurs, North Kildare Reapers and Waterford Wolves join Tullamore Phoenix, Dublin Dragons, Drogheda Lightning and Meath Bulldogs in the newly formed IAFL-1 Division, the new second tier of league football.

Other decisions made at the AGM include the ratification of the proposed new IAFA structure and changes to the pass interference rule.

The IAFL would also like to express its appreciation of the work put in by Mr. Ciaran O’Sullivan in on the new league structure over the past few months.

The new Board elected for the 2013 season is:

Chair: Terry Lynch

Commissioner: Alan Orr

Secretary: Cillian Smith

Treasurer: Russell Kerley

Board Member: Barry Bolton