Month: July 2013

Ireland Senior Flag Team – Euro Flag squad to be chosen soon.

37 players representing 11 teams attended trials for the Ireland Senior Flag Team over the past 2 weeks. Trialists included both specialist flag football players and players with IAFL experience who also play flag. Head Coach Ken Farrell now has the difficult task of chosing the final squad of 12 players who will represent Ireland at the European Championships in Italy in September.

The EFAF 2013 European Championships are due to take place in Pesaro, Italy from 22-24th September. The tournament line-up is as follows:

Austria
Denmark
France
Germany
Great Britain
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Netherlands
Switzerland

Ireland last entered a team in 2009 when it hosted the Championships in Belfast. Italy has good memories for Irish flag football – the Irish Junior squad finished 2nd in the 2010 Junior European Championships, which was the last time a major flag tournament was hosted by the Italian Federation.

IAFOA Newsflash 25 July

News, Rules questions & Game Information

Newsflash 25 Jul

A timely Reminder of the rules relating to Lightning

Full detail in Appendix B of NCAA Rules

Key sections below

Suspend a game

a. As a minimum, lightning safety experts strongly recommend that by the time the monitor observes 30 seconds between seeing the lightning flash and hearing its associated thunder, all individuals should have left the athletics site and reached a safer structure or location.

Re-start a game

e. To resume athletics activities, lightning safety experts recommend waiting 30 minutes after both the last sound of thunder and last flash of lightning.

Please do not second guess these instructions.

UL Vikings Live Every Moment Festival

Following the huge achievement of completing the Great Limerick Run in full American Football kit and raising over €1,000 for their club and Milford Hospice, the UL Vikings have organised a community fun-day for all called the Live Every Moment Festival to be part of the Limerick Gathering 2013 celebrations.

The Festival will be held on the University Arena Sport’s Grounds on the 24th of August 2013 with the aims of raising funds for the club, promoting American Football and raising well-needed funds for various local charities that support children with special needs. Full details can be accessed on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LiveEveryMomentUlVikingsFestival and discounted early bird tickets are available by emailing liveeverymoment2013@gmail.com.

The entire event was inspired by one of their coaches’ family. His youngest son has autism and was recently diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer. The Live Every Moment Festival will benefit local charities that have helped the Viking’s coaches’ family. They all are fantastic charities which provide their services free of charge. They are: Dochas (Help for People with Autism) in Limerick, Clare Crusaders in Clare, Healing Horse Equine Assisted Learning in Laois, and a new charity for children who have been victims of bullying, which is currently in the application stage

The Viking’s have organised a fun-filled day for 3 main groups; adults, kids and families with special needs.

  • For adults, they have Flag Football tournament, zumbathons, Dress-up-in-Drag Races (yes, dressing up in women’s clothes and racing each other through obstacles for charity!), evening entertainment and much more.
  • For kids, there will be flag football camps, zumabthons, bouncy castles, art competitions and more. All of the children’s LEM events are suitable for kids with special needs to participate along with other kids who may or may not have special needs. It will be a day where children can just be children and won’t be branded by their disability
  • For parents of children with special needs, there will be seminars and workshops on free services and support systems which are available to them. These seminars/workshops may give parents valuable information and training which could help them for years to come.

Support for the Viking’s Live Every moment Festival so far has been phenomenal. Zumba instructors, reffing officials, local business (the list goes on) have gotten on board for the Live Every Moment Festival– all of them happy to help out for some great causes.

The event is featured on The Gathering Website, Limerick.ie and www.ilovelimerick.com. Radio interviews have been organised with Spin SW, Clare FM and Limerick’s Live 95fm.

On the day promotions will include Limerick’s Live 95fm broadcasting live from the event and celebrity appearances from members of the Triple Crown and Grand Slam winning Irish Women’s Rugby team. The Vikings will continue to promote the Live Every Moment Festival in their community, by submitting full press releases to local newspapers, poster distributions and launching events being the next steps forward.

Trojans win Shamrock Bowl XXVII

Trojans on offense.

 

The Belfast Trojans won their second consecutive Shamrock Bowl with a convincing 48-18 win over the Dublin Rebels at Tallaght Stadium on Saturday 20th July.

A good crowd was on hand to watch the contest, which was played in unusually hot weather, with temperatures in the high 20s. Trojans running back Ian Montgomery was named American Food & More Store MVP.

The Trojans running game, featuring a trio of running backs – Colvin, Newton and Montgomery, running behind an offensive line led by former All-ACC and NFL Europe starter Jeroen Egge dominated the contest, moving the ball efficiently on most of the Trojans possessions.

Belfast’s opening possession of the game set the tone for the afternoon with Dave Colvin scoring the games first touchdown before the Rebels even touched the ball. The Rebels attempted to go deep on their first possession and were unlucky not to connect. QB Andy Dennehy hit receiver Chris Purdy on third down to move the chains. However, the Rebels fumbled the ball shortly afterwards to give the Trojans the ball in Rebel’s territory. Alex Newton and Ian Montgomery converted the turnover into eight points with a touchdown and two point conversion. The Rebels failed to move the ball on their next possession, and after punting, the Trojans moved the ball effectively with Montgomery scoring their third touchdown mid way through the second quarter to make it 20-0.

 

Bumper crowd enjoys the game.

On their next offensive series, the Rebels started to move the ball. Dennehy had a key 4th down pass to Gary Sommerville and a 20 yard run by Sam Hodgins put them in the Trojans red zone. Dennehy then connected with Purdy for an 11 yard touchdown pass to make it 20-6. The Rebels defence then stepped up, stopping the Trojans. With less than a minute remaining in the half, the Rebels got the ball deep inside their own half. However, they gambled on throwing the ball and it backfired when Gary Carr picked off a Rebels pass and returned it to the end zone to make the score 26-6 at halftime.

 The Rebels got the ball deep in their own territory following the second half kick-off. The Trojans defence was solid and forced them to punt on 4th down. However, the snap was too high and the Trojans tackled the punter on the five yard line as he attempted to recover the errant ball. Trojans QB James McKelvey then connected with Dave Richardson to make it 32-6.

 The Rebels went to the air on their next possession in an effort to chase the game. QB Dennehy had had some success, including a 30 yard pass to Sommerville and it looked like they might score again. However they were stopped by a Scott Fischaber interception.

MVP Prize from American Food and More Store.

The Trojans next score came late in the third quarter when QB McKelvey was flushed out of the pocket by the Rebels defense and forced to scramble. After breaking a couple of tackles, he took the ball down the left sideline for a score, which was also converted. The Trojans final score came early in the fourth quarter, when following a botched punt; Marty Devlin took the ball into the end zone to make it 48-6.

 However, the Rebels didn’t give up. The managed to move the ball effectively on their next possession which ended with a touchdown run by Sam Hodgins. They stopped the Trojans again, and after moving the ball downfield capped off a good quarter with a touchdown run by Simon Mackey to close the gap to 48-18. The Trojans then recovered a Rebels onside kick, but had a 46 yard field goal attempted blocked by the Rebels.

 The Trojans were presented with the Shamrock Bowl trophy by Deputy Mayor Eamon Tuffy and recently crowned World Junior Tae Kwon Do Champion, Donna O’Mahoney.

Shamrock Bowl XXVII - Tallaght Stadium

Shamrock Bowl – How to purchase tickets

Tickets for Ireland’s National Championship game, Shamrock Bowl XXVII are now on sale. The event details are as follows:

Dublin Rebels v Belfast Trojans

Saturday 20th July 2013, kick-off 2pm

Tallaght Stadium, South Dublin.

Tickets can be purchased by clicking on the  ‘register now’ button on the right hand side of this website.

Tickets are €8 for adults and €2 for children under 16. A special discounted Adult ticket rate of €5 is available to online purchasers who input the following promotional code before purchase: sb27_iafl

Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. Tallaght Stadium is an all-ticket venue. While tickets will be available on the day from the box office,  there may be queues particularly close to kick-off time.  Advance purchasers can also avail of the special discount rate.

Transport to Tallaght Stadium:

Map and transport options can be viewed at the following link:

http://www.tallaghtstadium.ie/location

There is plenty of public parking in The Square Shopping Centre, which is very close to the stadium.

Those travelling from the city centre by public transport are advised to use the Luas – red line to Tallaght. The stop is less than 5 minutes walk from the stadium and kids can travel free on the Luas next Saturday.

Shamrock Bowl Promotion in full swing.

Rebels and Trojans at The Square, Tallaght.

The promotion of Shamrock Bowl XXVII went into full swing over the weekend with some high profile appearances in the South Dublin area.

 Players from both the Dublin Rebels and Belfast Trojans made appearances in The Square Shopping Centre in Tallaght last Saturday where some promotional tickets were available to local fans. The level of interest was extremely high with over 900 people availing of the tickets.

 Meanwhile, the Dublin Dragons, who are the resident IAFL team in South Dublin, helped promote the game at Baseball Ireland’s The Gathering Dublin International tournament held in Corkagh Park, Clondalkin.

The level of interest in this years game is very high, possibly due to the game featuring teams from the island’s two biggest cities and because this will be the first time that the Trojans and Rebels have faced each other in the final. The Belfast Trojans recent success in the EFAF Atlantic Cup has also helped.

Shamrock Bowl XXVII will kick off at 2pm on Saturday 20th July at Tallaght Stadium in South Dublin. Tickets are available via the link on the right hand side of this page. IAFL fans who use the following promotional code when ordering tickets will receive a €3 discount on all adult tickets: sb27_iafl

Please note that kids tickets are all at a special price of €2 and kids go free on the Luas this weekend when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket.

Croke Park to host College Football in 2014

IAFL players help out with media photos at Croke Park today.

At noon today, it was officially announced that University of Central Florida will play Penn State University on Saturday 30th August 2014 at Croke Park in Dublin. The game is being hosted by the GAA.

The Irish American Football Association (IAFA) is very pleased that the University of Central Florida and Penn State have decided to open their 2014 college football seasons in Ireland. The staging of major American football games in Dublin can only serve to help generate more interest in the sport locally.

Commenting on the game, IAFA President Michael Smith said “IAFA is delighted to see top level American football return to Croke Park. We look forward to working with the GAA and Croke Park to make this an ongoing success.”

A small number of mainly endzone tickets went on sale yesterday as a taster for the event. IAFA members should get a chance to buy tickets later this year.

Representatives of GAA, UCF and Penn State at Croke Park

Coach George O’Leary with IAFA Commissioner Cillian Smith

Official GAA Press Release:

Croke Park, 14th July: Croke Park and the GAA today announced details of the 2014 “Croke Park Classic” which will see the University of Central Florida (UCF) face Penn State in their 2014 Season opener in GAA HQ on the 30th August 2014.

The GAA welcomed UCF coach George O’Leary and Penn State Director of Athletics Dave Joyner onto the pitch during half time in the Leinster Senior Football Championship Final between Dublin and Meath to officially launch the event.

The Croke Park Classic will be the first time that UCF and Penn State have played outside the United States.  The last American Football game hosted in Croke Park was in 1996 when Notre Dame defeated Navy.  Both of these colleges were back in Dublin last year when they attracted a capacity attendance of almost 50,000 to their fixture.

“This is a hugely significant event for Croke Park and Ireland. We in the GAA are looking forward to hosting a competitive sporting occasion,” said Páraic Duffy GAA Director General.

“Irish people are renowned for their love of sport as evidenced by the thousands who attend our games throughout the year.  I have no doubt that this game will be every bit as attractive.”

Organisers of last year’s game in Dublin estimated that the game added €100m to the Irish economy as well as contributing to the nearly 15% growth in American visitors in the period August-October 2012 compared to the same three months in 2011.

Speaking at today’s announcement, Minister for Transport Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar said: “This will be a fantastic event for Croke Park and for Ireland. The Navy vs Notre Dame game in 2012 welcomed 35,000 US visitors to Dublin. The “Croke Park Classic” will be every bit as important, and just as exciting, and both teams are guaranteed a warm welcome. It’s great news for sports fans, for the GAA and the wider economy. I congratulate everyone involved on making this possible.”

Veteran UCF Knights Coach George O’Leary was a mentor of Penn State Nittany Lions coach Bill O’Brien at Georgia Tech (1995-2001). “We are very excited about the prospect of playing our 2014 season opener in Dublin,” said Knights Coach O’Leary, in Croke Park for today’s announcement. “It’s a great opportunity for UCF, and a chance for us to grow the exposure of our football programme.”

“On a personal level, Coach O’Brien (Penn State) and myself are both of Irish heritage, so obviously it means a great deal to both of us to be in a position to bring our teams here. We are confident that Croke Park will be an excellent venue for us to play in, we have been hugely impressed to date with the facilities and we are looking forward to a huge crowd to get our 2014 season off to a flying start.”

Delegations from UCF and Penn State travelled over for today’s announcement, and both parties were hugely impressed not just with Croke Park stadium and its facilities, but also with their first experience of Gaelic Football.

“Our visit this weekend has only reinforced our reasons for wanting to come and play in Dublin,” said Dave Joyner, Penn State Director of Athletics. “We’ve not only grown our appreciation for the games so entrenched in the history and traditions here in Ireland, but have also confirmed that, because of the Irish people and their hospitality, Penn State fans are going to love their time here in late summer of 2014.”

Ireland of course has its own vibrant American Football scene. The IAFL, under the remit of the Irish American Football Association (IAFA) plays adult, full contact American football using NCAA rules – those used in major college football in the USA. Nine teams are playing in the Shamrock Bow Conference, which is Ireland’s top competitive league. The GAA and Croke Park welcome the support of the IAFA.

The Croke Park Classic will take place on Saturday 30th August 2014 and a limited number of end zone tickets were released for sale today from ticketmaster.ie and tickets.ie in advance of a general ticket sale (for a capacity of 69,000) across all GAA outlets, scheduled for mid-autumn.

Players with IAFA President Michael Smith, the Dublin Rose and Lord Mayor Oisin Quinn

 

Alan Orr appointed Communications Officer.

Mr. Russell Kerley has had to step down from his role as Communications & Development Officer of the IAFA for non football related reasons.

Mr. Alan Orr, who is a member of the IAFA Board, will be filling the Communications & Development Officer roles on a pro tem basis until further notice. Alan can be contacted at alan@americanfootball.ie.

IAFA Director of Coaching, Mr. John Judge, and IAFA Coaching Tutor, Mr. Terry Lynch will also assist with Development duties.

Trojans and Rebels win Shamrock Bowl Semi-Finals

Defending Champions, Belfast Trojans will play the Dublin Rebels in Shamrock Bowl XXVII after both teams won their semi-final match-ups at Garda RFC today. While both teams have Shamrock Bowl experience, this will be the first time they’ve met each other in Ireland’s premier game.

The Trojans defeated the University of Limerick Vikings 14-0 in a close game which was tied until into the 4th quarter.

The Rebels had a convincing 43-14 win against SBC South Champions, Trinity College Dublin in the second game.

Shamrock Bowl XXVII will take place on Saturday 20th July at Tallaght Stadium.

Semi-Final Results:

UL Vikings 0-14 Belfast Trojans

Dublin Rebels 43-14 Trinity College Dublin

Shamrock Bowl XXVII tickets on sale now.

Tickets for Ireland’s National Championship game, Shamrock Bowl XXVII are now on sale. The Belfast Trojans will defend their title against local team, Dublin Rebels.

The event will take place on Saturday 20th July, kick-off 2pm, at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin. It will feature the winners of the Semi-Finals due to take place on Sunday 7th July.

Tickets can be purchased by clicking on the ‘register now’ button on right hand side of this website. Tickets are €8 for adults and €2 for children under 16. A special discounted Adult ticket rate of €5 is available to online purchasers who input the following promotional code before purchase: sb27_iafl

Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.

Semi-Finals Results:

UL Vikings 0-14 Belfast Trojans

Dublin Rebels 43-14 Trinity College Dublin

Poor turnout at IFAF Congress – meetings terminated.

This weeks IFAF Congress in Helsinki was terminated after only 38 minutes after 40 of the 64 member Federations decided not to attend. The Congress had been intended to run for 2 days on 4th and 5th July.

The absentees included most of EFAF’s member countries.

The IFAF executive has been under pressure on a number of fronts in recent weeks. Firstly, the International Olympic Committee refused to allow IFAF’s application for recognition to go to a vote.

Secondly, in recent days, CAS has given a judgement in a case taken to challenge the outcome of the 2012 Congress in Texas. While IFAF was successful in this action, CAS did highlight the “lack of intelligibility of the IFAF Statutes” and “a questionable conduct of the IFAF Congress in July 2012” and consequently ruled that IFAF should share the costs of the case. It appears that the official English translation of IFAF’s Statutes, which the EFAF countries had relied upon in their appeal, did not accurately reflect the French version (which is the primary version as IFAF is registered in Paris) thus contributing to the reasons why the matter was appealed to CAS.

Separately, IFAF has also come under pressure to reveal the undisclosed recipient of a €87,000 ‘loan’ which appeared in its recently published 2012 audited accounts.