Mayor Cathal King, South Dublin County Council, the IAFA and representatives from the participating teams and Federations launch the EFAF Atlantic Cup.
The 2013 EFAF Atlantic Cup, which is being played in the 8,000 capacity Tallaght Stadium as part of The Gathering Dublin, was formally launched on Saturday 12th January.
The tournament will take place over the weekend of 29th/30th June 2013. Irish Champions Belfast Trojans will be joined by Brussels Tigers (Belgium), Dudelange Steelers (Luxembourg) and a team from The Netherlands – which will be confirmed by the Dutch Federation soon.
The EFAF Atlantic Cup is the official Western European Championship for amateur American football teams. It is possibly the most exciting tournament on the International American football calendar given that the participating teams are very closely matched in terms of their standard of play. In recent years, a very high percentage of games have been decided by very narrow margins.
The Semi-Final draw for the tournament is as follows:
Saturday 29th June (all times local):
12:00 Belfast Trojans v Dudelange Steelers
15:00 Brussels Tigers v Netherlands Team.
Sunday 30th June:
12:00 3rd/4th Place Play-off
15:00 Final.
To assist both teams and supporters, South Dublin Tourism has put together some special packages deals for those attending the EFAF Atlantic Cup. These packages include accommodation, meals, airport transfers and stadium transfers. Details will be announced shortly. The IAFA would like to invite fans from all over Europe to attend the tournament and experience The EFAF Atlantic Cup and The Gathering 2013 – the supporters packages will be open to all American football fans, not just those attached to the participating teams. The game will also be heavily marketed in the greater Dublin area with a view to generating a good crowd to add to the festival atmosphere.
Ireland’s leading newspaper, The Irish Times, listed the The Gathering Dublin, including the American football games taking place in Tallaght Stadium in 2013, as being among the highlights of the 2013 festivities. The IAFA and Tallaght Stadium will also host a series of games involving visiting North American teams in late August.
The Gathering 2013:
Throughout 2013, Ireland will open its arms to hundreds of thousands of friends and family from all over the world, calling them home to gatherings in villages, towns and cities. There will be clan gatherings, festivals, special sporting events, music and concerts taking place all across the country, all year long. Communities throughout Ireland will showcase and share the very best of Irish culture, tradition, business, sport, fighting spirit and the uniquely Irish sense of fun.
Tallaght Stadium:
Owned and operated by South Dublin County Council,Tallaght Stadium first opened its doors to the public in March 2009. Overlooked by the Dublin Mountains, positioned right in the heart of South Dublin County, Tallaght’s boutique Stadium has quickly become a household name in Irish sport. This multipurpose 8,000 seater facility is home to League of Ireland soccer team Shamrock Rovers and is also Ireland’s premier American football venue.