The Final game of the 2016 IAFL Season takes place this Sunday as the Donegal/Derry Vipers take on the Wexford Eagles. The Iafl2 bowl game sees two teams with perfect records face off for the title of Champion. Both teams have worked tremendously hard to get to this stage, and Sunday’s game promises to be a tightly contested affair.
The Wexford Eagles, in their fledgling IAFL season, were formed in the summer of 2014 by Arthur Guz and John Lynch. The two had previously played for the Waterford Wolves, but found the commute from Gorey to the RSC to be a bit of a struggle. They began training together on their own, recruiting friends and family. In the process of keeping in football shape, they formed the idea of their own team. And the Eagles were born. Head Coach Kevin Klatt was the final piece of the puzzle. A year of hard work and commitment later and the Eagles are bowl bound. “It’s been an incredible journey and experience for our coaches, players and fans” Guz told us.
The Vipers, now in their sophomore season of Irish football, overcame plenty of obstacles to make it to this year’s bowl game. Playing their first game of their first season only three weeks after putting on pads, the fruits of their labour are now borne. “We never really took time off after the first season” Founder Shaun McGrory reveals. “We kept our heads down, kept going.” The Vipers of last season, whose first game was a resounding loss to the Trojans 2nds, endured a steep learning curve. This season, however, they are the team to beat. A combination of hard work, recruitment and dedication led them to where they are now. “We learned a lot from last season, and put those lessons into practice this season”. says McGrory
With the thinnest of scoring margins the only thing separating these teams, this will be a great matchup. That two teams can achieve such success so soon after their inception it’s a great indicator of how the sport is developing in Ireland. Both the Vipers and The Eagles are primed for great success in the future, and could possibly be challenging for a Shamrock Bowl in the not so distant future. We wish both teams the very best of luck in defending their perfect records this Sunday!