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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