Author: AFI_Admin

Junior League Results – 18th October 2015

The South Kildare Soldiers can out on top in the second round of Junior League fixtures, which took place at Peoples Park, Portadown on Sunday. They defeated Craigavon and Mullingar in close contests. All three fixtures played were close – only one score between the teams. There was also a very noticeable improvement in the performance of each team since the first round of fixtures last month. The Cowboys and Soldiers are now tied at the top of the standings.

 The third round of fixtures will take place in Mullingar next month.

 Results:

 South Kildare Soldiers 18-12 Craigavon Cowboys.

 South Kildare Soldiers 18-14 Mullingar Minotaurs.

 Mullingar Minotaurs 12-20 Craigavon Cowboys.

GFLI Atlantic Cup – Belfast Trojans win European Title.

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The Belfast Trojans added a European title to their Irish title by winning the GFL International Atlantic Cup in Groningen over the weekend. The Trojans had a comfortable 26-7 win over Dutch hosts, Groningen Giants in the Final played on Sunday 27th September. The previous day, they defeated Gent Gators of Belgium in their Semi-Final. This is the second time the Trojans have won the title in three years – they won the 2013 title held in Ireland in conjunction with The Gathering.

 The turning point in the first quarter of the game was an interception by the Trojans which set up a 30 yard field goal by Gregory Gibson. From that point forward, the Trojans never looked back. Their defence came good again early in the second quarter when Neil Graham sacked the Groningen QB in the end zone for a safety. The Trojans capitalised even further when David Colvin returned the ensuing free kick for a touchdown to give the Trojans a 12-0 lead, which they held onto until halftime.

 The Trojans running game got going in the second quarter adding two touchdowns. Neil Montgomery had a short yardage touchdown in the third quarter to put the Trojans up 19-0. The game was then sealed in the fourth quarter with another rushing touchdown, this time by Matt Armstrong. Groningen scored a touchdown late in the game to make the final score 26-7 to the Trojans. The Trojans finish the 2015 season with an unbeaten 12-0 record for their first team – prior to this game, Groningen had also been unbeaten in 2015.

The previous day, the Trojans defeated Gent Gators of Belgium by a score of 27-14 in their Semi-final. The Gators opened up the scoring early in the game, but three unanswered touchdowns gave the Trojans a 20-8 lead at halftime. Both teams scored touchdowns in the second half to make the final score 27-14 to the Trojans.

The Trojans performance in this tournament serves to underline the significant improvements in the standard of play in Ireland in recent years – where the SBC is now regarded as one of the best purely amateur leagues in Europe.

 Next years Atlantic Cup is being hosted by Luxembourg with the tournament expected to return to Ireland in 2017.

 Atlantic Cup Results 2015:

 FINAL – Belfast Trojans 26-7 Groningen Giants

 3rd PLACE PLAY-OFF – Gent Gators 26-12 Luxembourg Steelers.

 SEMI-FINALS:

 Belfast Trojans 27-14 Gent Gators.

Groningen Giants 35-6 Luxembourg Steelers.

Atlantic Cup 2015 – Trojans seek European title this weekend in the Netherlands

ACsmall

Irish Champions, Belfast Trojans travel to the Netherlands this weekend to play in the GFL Atlantic Cup. The team has high hopes of winning the title for the second time, but will face stiff opposition from the Benelux countries. The GFL Atlantic Cup is the officially recognised Western European amateur club championship. The tournament was established by the EFAF, and is now operated by GFL International – the international wing of the German American Football Federation (AFVD) operating in nine western European countries. This year’s tournament is being held in Groningen in the Netherlands over the weekend of 26/27th September.

The Trojans have just completed an unbeaten season in the IAFL, retaining their Shamrock Bowl title. They face the Gent Gators in the first of two semi-finals on Saturday 26th. The Gators qualified for the tournament by winning last years Belgian Bowl by 38-0 over the Brussels Tigers. They have a 6-1 record in 2015.

The other semi-final sees the Groningen Giants playing the Luxembourg Steelers. The Giants have had a spectacular season in the Dutch Eerste Diviste, finishing with an 8-0 record, including 6 shut-out victories. The Luxembourg Steelers recently won the inaugural Luxembourg league with an unbeaten record and without conceding a point – in 2014 they played in the Belgian League.

The final and third/fourth play-off take place on Sunday 27th.

 

2015 Atlantic Cup Schedule:

 

Saturday 26th September:

12:00 Belfast Trojans @ Ghent Gators.

16:00 Luxembourg Steelers @ Groningen Giants.

Sunday 27th September:

 11:00 3rd/4th Place Play-off.

14:30 Atlantic Cup Final.

Coaching Courses – 17th & 24th October 2015

The IAFA has finalised the dates for the coaches certification courses due to take place this off-season. Coaching Ireland Introduction to Coaching Courses (commonly called ‘Level 1’) will take place in both Dublin and Drogheda next month. For both of these courses, pre-registration via eventbrite is mandatory as places are limited.  Course details are as follows:

 Saturday 17th October – CityWest Hotel, Dublin.

 Click on the following link to book a place:

 http://www.eventbrite.ie/e/introduction-to-coaching-course-registration-18495460420?aff=es2

 

Saturday 24th October – D-Hotel, Drogheda.

Click on the following link to book a place:

http://www.eventbrite.ie/e/introduction-to-coaching-course-registration-18687238032

 

*** These will be the only Certification Courses run before the start of the 2016 season ***

New Changes in Certification Rules:

 When Coaching Ireland Certification was introduced in recent years, it was always with the understanding that any existing coaches with other types of certification will have to update their qualifications and be transitioned over to Coaching Ireland within a period of time. With this in mind, the following rules apply w.e.f. 1st January 2016:

 IAFCA/BAFCA Level 1 no longer valid.

The ‘IAFCA Level 1’, which was delivered by BAFCA Tutors in Ireland a number of years ago is no longer considered a valid certification. The content of this course is below the minimum Coaching Ireland standard. Coaches currently coaching with this certification must take one of the above mentioned courses if they wish to coach in 2016.

 

Overseas Certified Coaches must certify with Coaching Ireland if changing teams.

There are a small number of coaches currently coaching with overseas qualifications, mostly BAFCA Level 2. Any of these coaches who are switching teams this off-season will need to re-certify by taking one of the above mentioned courses.

 

IAFA holds workshop for new teams.

On Saturday 12th September, the IAFA hosted a workshop for new applicants hoping to play in the near future as well as some of the recent additions to the league. The workshop was aimed at the administrators of these clubs. Topics covered included health & safety, club building, equipment & facilities, finances and the various requirements to play in the IAFA.

Teams in attendance included:

2015 IAFL2 teams – Derry/Donegal Vipers, Galway Warriors & South Kildare Soldiers.

2016 IAFL2 applicants: North Dublin Pirates, PSNI Razorbacks (Belfast) & Wexford Eagles.

Applicant for 2017: University of Ulster Coleraine Elks.

Junior League Kicks Off

This Sunday sees the start of the first ever Junior Football League in Ireland. Three teams are competing this weekend to kick things off with a blitz – the South Kildare Soldiers, the Mullingar Minotaurs and the Craigavon Cowboys:

11am – Soldiers vs Minotaurs
1pm – Soldiers vs Cowboys
3pm – Minotaurs vs Cowboys

Hosted by the Soldiers, the games take place in Oaklands Community College, Sister Senan Avenue, Edenderry, Co. Offaly and entry is free.

Ireland U20 Training Camp

Yesterday, 37 youth players from all over the country met in Westmanstown, Dublin for the first ever under 20s Ireland Training Camp.

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This first session was designed to give these players an introduction to the Ireland programme, so the coaches kicked things off with classroom sessions to give an overview of the day and explain the playbooks and strategies for the programme.

The afternoon was used for on field activities with players being taken through positional drills and exercises followed by an offense vs defence session to put what they learnt into practice.

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They were put through their paces by an experienced coaching staff comprising of coaches from many clubs around the country.

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Today’s session also leads into the opening event of the Youth Football League on September 13th – more details to follow.

Expansion to continue – Several new teams apply to play in 2016

It appears that the rapid expansion of the sport is going to continue into the near future after several prospective new teams made contact with the IAFA seeking to play kitted football. These teams along with the existing IAFL2 teams have been invited to attend a workshop meeting on 12th September to be taken through the various league requirements and to get advice from others who have been involved in running teams.

At last Decembers AGM, Formative membership was granted to Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) to work towards playing competitive football in 2016.

In recent days, the IAFA Board has granted Formative membership to the following teams who also want to play competitive football in 2016:

Laois Lions

North Dublin Pirates

Wexford Eagles

 Additionally, a team based in the Newry/Mourne area is also considering applying for 2016 and the University of Ulster Coleraine is intending to play flag football in the coming months in advance of moving to kitted football for 2017.

 All of these teams are currently seeking experienced players, coaches and administrators. If anyone is interested in joining one of these teams, please let us know and we will put you in contact with the relevant team management.

Dan Hawkins delivers clinic to Irish coaches.

 

Dan Hawkins delivers coaching clinic to Irish coaches at CityWest Hotel in Dublin.
Dan Hawkins delivers coaching clinic to Irish coaches at CityWest Hotel in Dublin.

 The IAFA hosted a coaching clinic delivered by former NCAA Head Coach, Dan Hawkins, in CityWest Hotel on Saturday 15th August. Approximately 20 Irish coaches attended. Coach Hawkins is a former University of Colorado and Boise State Head Coach. He is currently the Head Coach of the USA National Team, which won the World Cup in Canton, Ohio last month. Topics focused on included offensive strategy, special teams tactics, leadership practices and team organization.

 

IAFA Coaches at Dan Hawkins Clinic.
IAFA Coaches at Dan Hawkins Clinic.
 

Belfast Trojans win Shamrock Bowl XXIX

Belfast Trojans - Shamrock Bowl XXIX winners.
Belfast Trojans – Shamrock Bowl XXIX winners.

After a thrilling Shamrock Bowl in Dalymount Park between the Belfast Trojans and Trinity College, the Trojans got the victory by beating the students 28-14 and earning their fourth Championship in a row.

This was the second consecutive year that these teams met in the final, in what was the first ever American football game in the historic central Dublin stadium. The game was played in close to ideal weather conditions and on front of a very enthusiastic crowd. Running back David Colvin won the Terry Lynch MVP Award after scoring two touchdowns in the game. Lord Mayor of Dublin, Criona Ni Dhalaigh was the special guest and took part in the coin toss ceremony along side International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Presidium members Robert Huber and Janice Ward. The standard of football on display was extremely high with both teams giving their all.

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Criona NiDhalaigh with the Shamrock Bowl.
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Criona NiDhalaigh with the Shamrock Bowl.

 

 

Belfast were stopped by Trinity on their opening drive. Then Rob McDowell, who was Trinity’s outstanding player of the game and revelling in his new role as a running quarterback, opened the scoring in the first quarter with a very impressive 48 yard run. The Trojans responded shortly afterwards with a 13 yard pass from quarterback James McKelvey to Colvin. Some good defensive plays stopped any further scoring in spite of both offences being able to run the ball. Trinity came close to scoring just before the half, but were intercepted in the endzone by Trojans cornerback James Gallagher. The score at halftime was 7-7.

Rob McDowell scores the games first touchdown.
Rob McDowell scores the games first touchdown.

The intensity of both teams appeared to increase in the second half, with both offences putting together a number of impressive drives. There were some impressive plays on both teams, but the Trojans experience appeared to give them an edge in capitalising on moving the ball. Belfast took the lead for the first time early in the 3rd quarter with Colvin scoring his second touchdown – a 24 yard pass from McKelvey. Trinity got their first scoring opportunity of the quarter after defensive back Brian O’Driscoll intercepted the Trojans. However, they failed to capitalise on the interception when Belfast’s Neil Graham recovered a fumble.

Both lines engaged in an intense battle all game.
Both lines engaged in an intense battle all game.

Early in an exciting fourth quarter of play, the Trojans extended their lead with Matt Armstrong scoring from 10 yards out following an impressive series of downs. However, Trinity fought right back with McDowell leading them on a long scoring drive capped off by a 2 yard touchdown run by Alex Gurnee to make the score 21-14. What followed was one of the most impressive plays in Shamrock Bowl history. Trojans kick-off returner, Johnathan Siri scored on a spectacular 85 yard kick-off return to make the score 28-14 in favour of the Trojans.

Matt Armstrong scores for the Trojans.
Matt Armstrong scores for the Trojans.

But Trinity were still fighting hard. On their next drive, McDowell, who was a close second to Colvin in the MVP balloting, led Trinity on another impressive drive to give them first and goal with 1:56 remaining in the game. Both Mick O’Shea and Alex Gurnee were stopped a couple of inches from the goal line on 3rd and 4th downs respectively to seal the win for the Trojans.

Trinity on offense.
Trinity on offense.

The Trojans will now travel to the GFL International Atlantic Cup tournament in the Netherlands next month where they will attempt to win a European title as Ireland’s representative in the competition.

The Shamrock Bowl was not the only national title decided at Dalymount. Earlier in the afternoon, the Mullingar Minotaurs defeated the Dublin Vipers 19-13 in Emerald Bowl I, the inaugural Flag Football National Championship game.

Mullingar Minotaurs play Dublin Vipers in Emerald Bowl I.
Mullingar Minotaurs play Dublin Vipers in Emerald Bowl I.
Large enthusiastic crowd enjoys the game.
Large enthusiastic crowd enjoys the game.
Trojans and Trinity battle during the third quarter.
Trojans and Trinity battle during the third quarter.
Minotaurs win Emerald Bowl I.
Minotaurs win Emerald Bowl I.
MVP David Colvin receives his Americanfood.ie gift basket.
MVP David Colvin receives his Americanfood.ie gift basket.

Shamrock Bowl XXIX Logo

IAFA Announce new Ireland General Manager

Orla McAleese, Ireland General ManagerThe Irish American Football Association (IAFA) is delighted to announce that Orla McAleese has been appointed as the General Manager of the Irish National team. As well as her 15 years’ experience in Event Management, Orla has held the position of Event Manager of Ireland’s largest hotel, event and convention centre in Citywest. Orla is the Chairperson of the North Kildare Reapers and has been instrumental in developing the Reaper’s football programme over the past three years.

As General Manager, Orla will be responsible for working with the Ireland coaching staff to put structures in place develop a sustainable and successful National team, with a view to competing against other National teams throughout Europe. Orla will also be responsible for the recruitment of a full time Head Coach of the National programme.

Speaking on Orla’s appointment as General Manager, IAFA President Michael Smith commented “The Ireland programme has been put in place to develop our players to enable them to compete on the International stage. Orla’s appointment as General Manager is part of IAFA’s development of a full National programme which will include Senior, Youth and Flag Football teams and is a step towards competing in international competitions. We look forward to working with her and the rest of the team to continue to develop the programme and squad over the coming months”.

Orla’s appointment as General Manager is part of IAFA’s development of a full National programme which will include Senior, Youth and Flag Football teams as well as Centres of Excellence to develop players and prepare them for the National stage.

“I am delighted to be asked to be involved in the Ireland Team”, Orla said after her appointment. “There was a lot of concern in the direction of team in last few months. IAFA have pushed forward to restructure its backroom management, which is a positive step towards the team’s progression. We have a lot of talented players and coaches in Ireland and it will be a fantastic experience for them at this level.”

In addition, Ciaran O’Sullivan will carry out the duties of the Ireland Senior Head Coach pending the appointment of a permanent Head Coach.

Preview of Shamrock Bowl XXIX

Shamrock Bowl XXIX Logo

Belfast Trojans v Trinity College Dublin

The Belfast Trojans and Trinity College Dublin will meet in Dalymount Park next Sunday to decide who will be Ireland’s National Champions in American football. In spite of meeting in last years final, both teams have had to make big improvements to stay at the top of the increasingly competitive Shamrock Bowl Conference (SBC) – Ireland’s elite American football league. One exciting aspect of this years game is the fact that these teams did not meet during the 2015 regular season. So there is no head to head form book to go by. Indeed, the notional form book was upset when they last met – in the 2014 Shamrock Bowl, with the Belfast Trojans narrowly defeating a Trinity team which had been unbeaten all year.

Route to the Shamrock Bowl:
The Trojans finished the regular season as the best team in SBC North with an 8-0 record. They defeated the University of Limerick Vikings in their Semi-Final to reach Shamrock Bowl XXIX. They were the top scorers in the SBC, averaging 43 points per game and conceded only 30 points all season.

Trinity College Dublin finished the regular season as the best team in SBC South with a 7-1 record. Their only defeat was their season opener against UL Vikings. They defeated the Dublin Rebels in their Semi-Final to reach Shamrock Bowl XXIX. They scored an impressive 202 points including 28 touchdowns during the regular season, conceding only 92 points on defence.

The Teams:
Belfast Trojans are led by veteran quarterback James McKelvey, who topped the SBC passing charts in 2015. His receiving corps will be depleted this week due to the suspension of the team’s top wide receiver David Richardson (ejected in semi-final). Their backfield includes Neil Montgomery –a very physical running back who loves contact. The Trojans are equally capable of passing and running on most downs. Like most successful teams, they have an exceptional offensive line which has plenty of depth –Vance, Bradford, Ramadan, Davidson & McGrath will probably start, with former NCAA star Jeroen Egge (1st team all-ACC at Duke University) playing on key downs. The Trojans defence has strength in all departments including Chris Mikhael, Connor Whitla and Chris Weir.

Trinity College’s Rob McDowell is probably the best athlete in the SBC at the moment. Known in the league as ‘the highlights reel’ due to his uncanny ability to make impressive plays. This season has seen him change roles from being a pure running back to taking snaps under centre as a running quarterback. This has given the Trinity offense a new more versatile look this year – last season they used a pure pocket passer at QB. McDowell will be joined in the backfield by running back Ola Bademosi, who is a power runner. The Trinity passing game is still strong, with wide receiver Alex Gurney, who is versatile enough to also line-up in the backfield. Trinity has an impressive offensive line, which is very athletic. Five of the following six will start on Sunday – McKenna, O’Hara, Coughlan, McCarthy-Edwards, Tamas and Lysaght. On defence, they have a lot of speed and athleticism and includes cornerback Brian O’Driscoll and defensive end Thomas O’Hara.

Photo by Ariane Boudias
Photo by Ariane Boudias

Aer Lingus College Football Classic launch

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic 2016 was one of the main features at the ACC Kick-off event in Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina two weeks ago as the specially designed Waterford Crystal trophy was unveiled. Boston College Head Coach Steve Addazio, Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Johnson, the ACC Commissioner John Swofford and Padraic O’ Kane CEO of Corporate.ie, the joint promoters of the game, were all on hand to show off the hand-crafted piece.

ACC Commissioner John Swofford, Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Johnson, Boston College Head Coach Steve Addazio and Padraic O’ Kane CEO of Corporate.ie
ACC Commissioner John Swofford, Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Johnson, Boston College Head Coach Steve Addazio and Padraic O’ Kane CEO of Corporate.ie

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic, which will take place in the Aviva Stadium on September 3rd 2016, will be the opening game of the College Season, which will have a live TV audience in excess of 1.4 million US viewers on ESPN.

The trophy, which was designed and hand crafted at the Waterford Cyrstal factory, is a Cyrstal replica of an American Football helmet. This Crystal Trophy was designed by Billy Briggs, who captured the true classic shape of the American Football Helmet. The piece was mouth blown and hand cut using traditional manufacturing techniques. The diamond cutting across the surface of the helmet allows the light to catch it, in order to create the magical sparkle, associated with Waterford Crystal.

Aer Lingus College Football Classic 2016 Waterford Crystal trophy
Aer Lingus College Football Classic 2016 Waterford Crystal trophy

IAFL1 and IAFL2 Champions

Yesterday, the finals of the IAFL1 and IAFL2 leagues were held in Navan RFC, hosted by the Meath Bulldogs. After impressive performances from all teams, the Belfast Trojans 2nds team became the 2015 IAFL2 Champions and the Waterford Wolves, 2015 IAFL1 Champions.

Huge thanks to OpenTempo Sports for their live commentary of both games – a podcast of each game is available:
Belfast Trojans 2nds vs South Kildare Soldiers
Cork Admirals vs Waterford Wolves

IAFL2 Final
The IAFL2 final kicked things off at 1pm between the Belfast Trojans 2nds and the South Kildare Soldiers. The Trojans opened up the scoring after two TDs and a PAT in the first quarter followed by a safety and another two TDs and a PAT in the second quarter. The Soldiers fought hard in the second half and made some impressive defensive stops, but the Trojans again scored two TDs and one PAT to make the final score 48-0 and earning the IAFL2 Championship.

2015 IAFL2 Champions, the Belfast Trojans 2nds
2015 IAFL2 Champions, the Belfast Trojans 2nds

IAFL1 Final
The IAFL1 final followed at 4:15pm between the Cork Admirals and the Waterford Wolves. The Admirals got the first two scores of the day, scoring two TDs but missing the PATs to make it 12-0 by half time. In the second half, the Wolves scored a TD but again missed the PAT to close the gap to 12-6, and again to push ahead 13-12. With only one point separating the teams, the final two minutes of the game was a tense affair. The Admirals had possession at the start of the two minute warning, and after battling against the Wolves defence, couldn’t break through, making the Wolves the IAFL1 Champions.

2015 IAFL1 Champions, the Waterford Wolves
2015 IAFL1 Champions, the Waterford Wolves

Shamrock Bowl XXIX Finalists

Shamrock Bowl XXIX
Shamrock Bowl XXIX

After yesterday’s semi-finals in Belfast, we now have our finalists for Shamrock Bowl XXIX – the Belfast Trojans and Trinity College Dublin.

Both semi-finals were close fought games, with the weather favouring defences. In the first semi-final, Trinity College beat the Dublin Rebels 22-0, kicking things off with a Field Goal in the 1st quarter, followed by two 80 yard touchdowns by Rob McDowell and another by Alex Gurney in the second half. In the second semi-final, the Trojans beat the UL Vikings 10-0, again with a Field Goal in the 1st quarter and a QB sneak in the second half.

Both teams also reached last year’s Shamrock Bowl, with the Trojans winning 7-0 after a touchdown in the 4th quarter by Connor Whitla. After yesterday’s semi-finals, we can expect another close fought game this year.

Tickets for the Shamrock Bowl are still available at shamrockbowl29.eventbrite.ie and remember to use the discount code sb29 at checkout to get 50% off your tickets.

Play-off update: Rebels and Vikings into Semis. Waterford into IAFL1 Bowl.

Sunday 19th July saw three play-off games being played, the results of which were as follows:

Shamrock Bowl Wildcard games:

Craigavon Cowboys 19-62 Dublin Rebels

UCD 12-20 University of Limerick Vikings.

IAFL1 Semi-Final:

Meath Bulldogs 9-13 Waterford Wolves.

The Dublin Rebels and UL Vikings now advance to the Shamrock Bowl Semi-Finals, which will be played in Belfast on July 26th. The Rebels will play Trinity College in the 1pm game and the Vikings will play Belfast Trojans in the 4pm game.

The Waterford Wolves advance to meet the Cork Admirals in the IAFL1 Bowl in Navan RFC on Sunday 2nd August. The winner of this game will be promoted to the Shamrock Bowl Conference.

 Belfast Trojans 2nds will play South Kildare Soldiers in the IAFL2 Bowl, also taking place in Navan RFC on Sunday 2nd August.

New teams – Application Process for 2016 to begin soon.

As the 2015 kitted football season draws to a close over the next few weeks, thoughts are already turning to 2016. The IAFA is aware that there are several groups out there considering starting new teams. Some have already made formal contact, others have yet to come forward.

The application process for new teams is going to start earlier than usual this year in order to allow for some additional meetings to be scheduled with the applicants including a seminar/workshop and an additional face to face meeting in advance of the formal application/audit meeting.

Therefore, can any groups who are thinking about starting new teams please get in contact and supply the information below by 31st July 2015:

  1. Names of committee/management establishing the team.
  2. Location of team.
  3. Provisional team name.
  4. Contact details (phone, email & postal address).

Information should be emailed to  commissioner.

All prospective new teams responding will be contacted by the IAFA shortly after submitting the information and application forms will be circulated in early August with a return date in late August.

New teams who come through the application process will be placed in, what we hope will be, an expanded IAFL2 division in 2016. IAFL2 is the IAFA’s development league whereby teams get experience, including competing in a league, alongside other teams at a similar stage of development. Teams will typically spend 1 or 2 seasons in IAFL2 before stepping up to IAFL1 – promotion to IAFL1 is decided based on being ready to compete at that level rather than any set number of teams going up in any year.

Play-off Update – UCD and Craigavon clinch final spots.

With the conclusion of a very exciting SBC regular season last weekend, we now know the identities off all the SBC play-off teams and the dates/locations of all the games.

Belfast Trojans (8-0) and Trinity College (7-1) earned byes into the Semi-Finals by topping their divisions.

UL Vikings (6-2) and Dublin Rebels (5-3) won the right to host the Wildcard games, which will take place on Sunday 19th July.

There was a very close battle for the final two Wildcard spots with 3 teams – UCD, Craigavon Cowboys and North Kildare Reapers all tied with a 3-5 record. As UCD and Craigavon did not play each other during the regular season, the head to head tiebreakers could not be used. Therefore the teams have to be separated on points difference with UCD and Craigavon earning the final spots in the play-offs.

 

The full SBC Play-Off schedule is as follows:

Sunday 19th July, 2pm – Wildcard Weekend:

UCD @ UL Vikings.

Craigavon Cowboys @ Dublin Rebels.

Sunday 26th July, k.o. tbc – Semi-Finals (both at Harlequins, Belfast):

Winner of UCD/UL @ Belfast Trojans.

Winner of Craigavon/Rebels @ Trinity College.

Sunday 9th August, 3pm – Shamrock Bowl XXIX, Dalymount Park.

2 x Semi-Final winners.

 

Meanwhile, in IAFL1 and IAFL2, we still have another weekends play to decide who will qualify for the play-offs. As things stand, we are in for a very exciting regular season finale with 4 teams, 3 of whom are playing next weekend, battling for the 3 x IAFL1 play-off spots. In IAFL2, the Belfast Trojans 2nd team have qualified with the other final spot still to be determined.

Independence Day Fixtures

4thJuly_IAFA_FBCover

To celebrate Independence Day this Saturday, a number of our teams are hosting major events around their fixtures. There are two events planned, one in Dublin and the other a double-header fixture in Carrickfergus.

Dublin
The Dublin Rebels are hosting the South Dublin Panthers in Donnybrook Stadium in Dublin, in association with Eventfuel and Lovin Dublin. As well as the main fixture at 5pm, there’ll be an outdoor cinema, live music, a food village and kids zone so head to www.eventbrite.ie/e/4th-july-festival-tickets-17298076011 to get your tickets, and use code rebels20 or panthers20 to get 20% off.

Carrickfergus
The Carrickfergus Knights, together with the Belfast Trojans, are hosting a double-header fixtures in the Carrickfergus RFC. The first game sees the North Kildare Reapers against the Knights at 1pm followed by the Craigavon Cowboys vs the Belfast Trojans at 4pm. This will be a family fun day with entertainment, food and drinks for the entire family!

Play-Off schedule announced.

It’s nearly play-off time again! The table below sets out the schedule and where teams will play. All single fixtures, except the Shamrock Bow, will kick-off at 2pm. Doubleheaders in the same venue kick-off at 1pm & 4pm.

Date Game Home Team Away Team Venue
19th July SBC Wildcard #1 SBC North 2nd SBC North 3rd or SBC South 4th SBC North 2nd
19th July SBC Wildcard #2 SBC South 2nd SBC South 3rd or SBC North 4th SBC South 2nd
19th July IAFL1 Semi IAFL1 2nd IAFL1 3rd IAFL1 2nd
26th July SBC Semi #1 SBC North 1st SBC WC #2 Harlequins, Belfast
  SBC Semi #2 SBC South 1st SBC WC #1 Harlequins, Belfast.
2nd August IAFL1 Bowl IAFL1 1st IAFL1 Semi winner Navan RFC
  IAFL2 Bowl IAFL2 1st IAFL2 2nd Navan RFC
9th August SB XXIX Semi winner Semi winner Dublin.

Shamrock Bowl XXIX will take place in Dublin on Sunday 9th August, kick-off 3pm. The game will be played in a high profile Dublin venue which will be announced shortly. Tickets will go on sale before the end of this month.

The Shamrock Bowl Semi-Finals will take place in Harlequins RFC, Belfast – current home of the Belfast Trojans. As per the AGM discussions, the intention is to move the Semi-finals to different parts of the country from year to year. They will be a doubleheader on the same date and will be run as an event. K.O. will be 1pm and 4pm – which teams play early/late will depend on travel practicalities.

IAFL1 & IAFL2 Bowl games will take place in Navan RFC – same venue as 2014. Games will be run as a doubleheader as part of the same event with kick-offs at 1pm & 4pm – which teams play early/late will depend on travel practicalities.

The 2 x 2nd placed SBC teams will host the wildcard games. Please note the By-Laws concerning the away teams in the SBC Wildcards. It is possible for a 4th placed team to qualify.

The 2nd placed IAFL1 team will host the single IAFL1 semi-final. The 1st placed team goes straight into the Bowl game. The winner of the IAFL1 Bowl will be automatically promoted to the SBC to replace SBC 10th placed team.

The top 2 teams in IAFL2 go straight through to the IAFL2 Bowl. This game is simply for the title – promotion will be determined by post-season audit and multiple teams can be promoted.

BBC TV report that American football is proving a big hit in Ireland

Last Friday, the BBC broadcasted a news article on American football in Ireland which was filmed at the recent Belfast Trojans v Dublin Rebels SBC game.

BBC reporter Matt Kerr reported on the growing popularity of the IAFA highlighting the record number of teams and players currently playing the sport and how the sport is progressing in a postive manner. The report includes interviews with IAFA President Michael Smith, IAFA Board member Matt Craig and Barry Kiel of the Belfast Trojans, accompanied by footage of the Trojans v Rebels game.

The broadcast, and the accompanying article from the BBC website can be seen at the following link:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/american-football/33016745

Boston College and Georgia Tech to come to Ireland

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The Irish American Football Association welcomes today’s announcement of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic between Boston College and Georgia Tech, which is scheduled for 2016. This marks the third regular season college football game to be held in Ireland in recent years.

In 2014, IAFA was an official partner of the Penn State versus University of Central Florida game. Over 20,000 people from North America travelled to Ireland to watch the game and as well as bringing significant tourism to Ireland, it also helped to highlight the sport in this country.

Commenting at today’s announcement, IAFA Commissioner Cillian Smith said “Having major American football fixtures in Ireland helps to not only shine a light on the massive growth the sport is currently experiencing in Ireland, but it also reinforces Ireland as a prime destination for sporting events of this scale. As the National Governing Body for American football in Ireland, we’re delighted to hear that Boston College and Georgia Tech, two of the top teams in college football, are considering Ireland as a location for a future fixture and we look forward to working with both of them”.

Oklahoma University students learn about Irish American Football

On Sunday 24th May, IAFA hosted a number of athletes from Oklahoma University who were spending time in Ireland as part of a two week program to study sport in Ireland as part of a Sport & Culture undergraduate course. The students visited a number of sports groups while in Ireland. Oklahoma University is one of the top sporting colleges in the NCAA – their American football team has won seven National Championships and sent numerous players to the NFL.

The day started with a seminar on the history and current status of American football in Ireland by Ciaran O’Sullivan and Cillian Smith.

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Following the seminar, a number of players and coaches from the North Kildare Reapers and the West Dublin Rhinos also took part and spoke with the OU students about the life of an American football player in Ireland and the differences between the sporting landscape in the US and Ireland.

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The students also took in the UL Vikings vs Trinity College fixture in ALSAA with Nicole Kornet from the OU Sooners Women’s Basketball team performing the coin toss to start the game.

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IAFA delegates attend Federation of Irish Sport Conference

Representatives of the IAFA were among the 160 delegates who attended the Federation of Irish Sport Conference 2015 at the Guiness Storehouse in Dublin last Monday. Delegates included most of the CEOs or Presidents from Ireland’s sporting bodies along with senior personel from the Irish Sports Council, the Department and Failte Ireland.

The Conference featured a number of workshops, a keynote speech by Minister Pascal O’Donohoe and a session on fundraising and networking conducted by Kingsley Aikins. Minister O’Donohoe joined the table of IAFA Commissioner Cillian Smith for the first of the three workshops. Also attending on behalf of the IAFA were Matt Craig, Ian Cahill and special guest Aidan Prendergast of Cardinal Consulting. IAFA external Board member Colum Lavery attended on behalf of Softball Ireland. Former NFL Europe Coach, Stephen McCusker was one of the exhibitors.

Change of venue for Trinity College home games.

Due to remedial work on the grounds being undertaken at the Trinity College Sports Grounds, Trinity College American Football Club has been forced to relocate their home games to ALSAA near Dublin Airport.

The first game to be played at ALSAA is their fixture against UL Vikings next Sunday. ALSAA has previously hosted IAFL fixtures, having once been the home venue for DCU Saints. It has also hosted home games for UCD, Dublin Dragons and North Dublin Marshals at various times over the past decade.

IAFA makes Irish sporting history – first National men’s game with two female officials.

  

Carla (left) and Kelly (right) with Tony Rivers.

American football officials, Carla Nico and Kelly Dwyer made history last Sunday, when for the first time ever in Irish sport, a mens’ national league game in a field sport was presided over by a crew which included two women.

 Carla and Kelly were part of five person crew which officiated the Mullingar Minotaurs versus Waterford Wolves game played in Mulligar on 17th May. Carla, who recently moved to Ireland, is an experienced official who previously officiated at semi-pro level in Brazil. Kelly qualified as a Level 1 official in Ireland earlier this year.

The Irish American Football Association is no stranger to making firsts in female participation. Coach Sarah Matthews of the Dundalk Mavericks is believed to be the only female Head Coach of a mens’ team playing at national league level in any sport in Ireland. Sarah follows in the footsteps of Lara Sleator of the Carrickfergus Knights, who coached for a number of years before becoming the Knights team manager.

Website technical issues

The IAFA website – www.americanfootball.ie – was victim of a malicious attack by a third party in recent days. As a result the website has been down at times and there are some features not functioning. We are working to get these issues resolved – please be patient with us over the next few days.

Reapers win SBC fixture

Results – Sunday May 3rd:

Shamrock Bowl Conference:

Craigavon Cowboys 12-13 North Kildare Reapers.

IAFL-1:

Meath Bulldogs 13-0 Waterford Wolves.

Dundalk Mavericks P-P Cork Admirals – game postponed due to weather.

IAFL-2:

Galway Warriors 0-0 West Dublin Rhinos 2nds.

Belfast Trojans 2nds 63-0 South Kildare Soldiers.

IAFA Statement on OIC Investigation into Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport.

The Irish American Football Association is pleased to announce that the Office of the Information Commissioner has agreed with its views regarding certain records which the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport refused to release to it. On 17th April last, the Commissioner ordered the Department to release the majority of the records sought, including all the key records, to the IAFA. The Association would like to express its disappointment that a Government Department would chose to act in an unlawful manner. The IAFA is now eagerly awaiting the outcome of a third investigation currently being conducted by the Information Commissioner.

The IAFA will be making a more comprehensive statement on the issues surrounding these investigations within the next couple of weeks.

Summaries of the Information Commissioners investigation reports can be found at the following links:

http://www.oic.gov.ie/en/Decisions/Decisions/Mr-X-and-the-Department-of-Transport-Tourism-and-Sport-.html

http://www.oic.gov.ie/en/Decisions/Decisions/Mr-X-and-the-Department-of-Transport-Tourism-and-Sport11.html

The IAFA confirms that it the “Mr. X.” who sought the investigation.

April 26th Results –Trojans & Vikings remain unbeaten.

Results – April 26th:

Shamrock Bowl Conference:

UCD 12-13 UL Vikings.

Belfast Trojans 27-6 Carrickfergus Knights

Dublin Rebels 15-6 South Dublin Panthers.

Craigavon Cowboys 28-0 West Dublin Rhinos

IAFL-1

Tyrone Titans 8-0 Mullingar Minotaurs.

Round-up:

The Belfast Trojans remained unbeaten at 3-0 with a 27 to 6 win over local rivals, Carrickfergus Knights. The Trojans opened the scoring with a Jonathan Siri punt return. A TD catch by Kris Donaghy and a safety put them 14-0 up at halftime. Second half TDs from Matt Armstrong and Peter Roberts as well as a TD from the Knights completed the scoring.

Meanwhile, the Craigavon Cowboys won a crunch game against the West Dublin Rhinos. Both teams went into the game without a win with the loser destined to be the only winless team left in the SBC. QB Peter Loughran passed for two touchdowns (Alberto & Smith) and ran for another. Andrew Herron also got a running score to give the Cowboys a comprehensive 28-0 win.

In Dublin, the Rebels won a close encounter with the South Dublin Panthers in Westmanstown. Kevin Finnegan scored early in the first quarter, with the Rebels adding a second by halftime. The Panthers then came back to make it a close finish.

The closest SBC game was down in Limerick, with the Vikings winning by only one point against UCD. The win moves the Vikings to 5-0.

In IAFL-1, the Tyrone Titans squeezed past the Mullingar Minotaurs by 8-0 to keep pace with the Cork Admirals on 3-0 at the top of the Division.