Posts related to IAFA activities (also general category)
The IAFA would like to invite new teams hoping to play competitive kitted football in 2020 to contact us by email at commissioner@americanfootball.ie before the 15th September.
All teams new and existing will then be sent the application/audit forms to participate in the 2020 season.
Closing date for return of the application forms with be the 15th October.
Only just a week in the role of Commercial Director and newly appointed Kate Sherry has already managed to have the word spread about IAFA and more specifically Shamrock Bowl 33 in a short feature on the Sport for Business website.
Sport for Business is publishing, networking and events business at the heart of the commercial world of Irish sport. They connect sport and business in ways that go well beyond the standard forms of sponsorship and hospitality.
Through our industry-leading Sport for Business Daily Digest, Sport for Business engage daily with an audience of 4,000 leaders in sport, business, politics and society.
Sport for Business host and partner with over 30 events during the year and they work closely with their members to make things happen for them.
The Shamrock bowl will be held in Energia Park, Donnybrook on August 4th and will see the Belfast Trojans take on the South Dublin Panthers in what should be a craic of a game. Tickets are available for purchase by clicking the big green “Buy SBXXXIII Tickets” button found to the right hand side of your screen.
You can find the featured piece at the following link Sport for Business.
The IAFA is delighted to announce the following appointments;
Director of Officiating: Steve Moles has been appointed to this role on a full time basis. Steve has been involved with IAFA for over ten years and during that time participated as a player, official and sat on club boards. Steve has been the Interim Director of Officiating since the start of this season and has done a fantastic job in this role. We wish him continued success in the development of the department going forward.
Officiating Development Officer: Tony Rivers has been appointed to this role within the Officiating Department reporting directly to the Officiating Development Manager (Barry Bolton). Tony has been involved in American Football for over 30 years both in the UK and Ireland and having previously served as the Director of Officiating will bring invaluable experience to the role. This role will involve the continued development of our full time officials. Tony will be attending games and submitting reports to the Development manager with a view to providing feedback to our officials and the further development of our training courses.
Commercial Director: We are delighted to welcome Kate Sherry into the IAFA family. Kate is about to undertake a Masters in Sports Management and brings with her extensive experience in the commercial sector having worked in senior positions with a number of market leaders over the past 15 years. Kate will be responsible for maximising our income opportunities at events and seeking sponsorship/partnerships for IAFA.
We look forward to working with these newly appointed personnel over the next number of months for the betterment of our association.
IAFA is delighted to announce Football America UK and Americanfood.ie as sponsors for the upcoming Shamrock Bowl 33 in Energia Park on the 4th of August.
Football America UK are committed to providing UK and European American Football teams and individuals and specialise in all forms of Football Equipment not just helmets and shoulder pads. They also supply great genuine products from various US and UK official suppliers, such as Nike, New Era Headwear, Majestic Apparel, Wincraft, Mitchell & Ness and Forever Collectibles. From replica jerseys to snack helmets for your NFL Party, they have a massive range available all year round.
Americanfood.ie bring you all the best food items from America to your doorstep.They import a vast range of American food products that can’t be readily purchased in Ireland to all fans of American goodies.
A small contingency of IAFA representatives were invited to the residence of the newly appointed US Ambassador to Ireland, Edward Crawford, to celebrate the 4th of July or US Independence Day.
While IAFA Commissioner Brian Cleary and IAFA President Orla McAleese were to invited to enjoy 4th July festivities, they were also helping Corporate.ie promote the 2020 Aer Lingus College Football Classic game between Notre Dame and Navy alongside Ethan Foster from the SBC West Dublin Rhinos, Oisin Finn from the IAFL1 Louth Mavericks.
The return of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Ireland was announced last October by Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar T.D.also unvaileing a five-game plan which will see the return of College Football to Ireland in 2020 with the series kicks off with the return of Navy vs Notre Dame which will take place on Saturday 29th August 2020. Aer Lingus has been unveiled as title sponsor of the series at the Aviva Stadium with other fixtures and teams will be announced in due-course.
Edward Crawford officially begun his term as the new US ambassador to Ireland on the 1st of July. Mr Crawford has a long history of philanthropy and entrepreneurship in Cleveland, Ohio (birth state of American Professional Football). Ambassador Crawford is also a keen sportsman.
It’s the penultimate weekend of the SBC season, which sees two important games in terms of playoff and relegation battles. All teams will be looking for a win this week, to carry into the final games next Sunday.
Dublin Rebels (2-4) @ Belfast Trojans (4-1-1)
Two teams well known to each other will once again go head to head this Sunday as the Dublin Rebels travel north to take on the Belfast Trojans. It has not been the season the Rebels were expecting, as the 10 time champions will not feature in the playoffs this year. The Trojans however are shaping up nicely for the last run in, sitting in second place with their playoff spot already confirmed.
It’s been a disappointing season for the Rebels given their long and triumphant history. The Rebels travelled to Cork in their most recent game to take on the Admirals, and fell to a 14-28 defeat. With playoffs now out of reach, the Rebels will be looking for two wins in their last two games to build on for the 2020 season. In 2018, the Rebels and Trojans met twice – once during the regular season where the Trojans won 21-14 then again in the playoffs where the Rebels beat the Trojans 30-26 to reach Shamrock Bowl XXXII.
The Trojans will be looking for some consistency as they count down the weeks to the playoffs. The year started well with back to back road wins before falling to a loss and a draw at home. They have won their last two games, including an impressive 32-12 win most recently on the road to UCD, but Trojans head coach James McKelvey isn’t looking any further than the task on hand on Sunday “I’ve been playing the Rebels for about 15 years and I expect this game to be no different than the rest – a tough physical encounter where the team that makes the fewest mistakes will come out on top.”
Location: Harlequins RFC, Belfast
Kick Off: 2pm
UL Vikings (1-5) @ West Dublin Rhinos (2-4)
A crucial game for both teams, who are fighting to be competing in the SBC next year. The Rhinos will confirm their SBC status for 2020 with a win or a tie in this game, however a loss would bring them right into the relegation mix and give the Vikings a much needed boost to their survival hopes. These teams last met in April of this year in Limerick, where the Rhinos returned home as 17-16 victors.
The Vikings sit bottom of the table, two points below the Knights who earned a vital draw against the Admirals last week. The Vikings will essentially need two wins in two weeks to stand a chance, but Vikings committee member Conor Whelan is feeling positive “This season has been a season of fine margins for us. We’ve been competitive in almost all of our games this season. Our last day out against the Knights is hopefully a turning point for us so we’ll look to tip the scales this Sunday against the Rhinos after losing out to them on the narrowest of margins back in April and keep ourselves competitive for SBC football.”
A fairly positive return for the Rhinos to the SBC, the step up is never easy but they have certainly been competitive throughout the year. Rhinos head coach Barry Bolton will be looking to secure their SBC status on Sunday and start to think about preparations for 2020 “This is a huge game for us. When we played the Vikings in Limerick we came away with a win by a single point. Though we’re at home this time, arguably the stakes are higher for both teams. A win for us secures SBC football in 2020 with a game to spare. A win for the Vikings takes them off the bottom of the table. There wasn’t much between us last go around, so I expect another slobber knocker of a game.”
Location: Castleknock College, Dublin
Kick Off: 2pm
IAFA Flag Football has been steadily growing over the past five years. While original teams, like the two-time national champions Craigavon Cowboys or one-timers Westmeath Minotaurs or Edenderry Eagles, are still very much within the tops teams in the nation, some teams have come and gone partially due to the obvious effects an increased level and quality of the game have had on the hunger and commitment for each team to compete in the EBC each year. While IAFA considers Flag Football as a key element in the overall growth of American Football in Ireland, it has become more difficult for new entrants to compete against more experienced teams and hoping to win the title of champions. So with this in mind and in order to make Flag Football fairer but still very much competitive for all we will be applying the following changes for the 2019 season.
| Craigavon Cowboys (1) | Louth Mavericks (2) |
| Trinity College Dublin (3) | Edenderry Eagles (4) |
| Belfast Knights (5) | Belfast Trojans (6) |
| UCC (7) | Dublin Bay Raptors (8) |
| UCD (9) | Westmeath Minotaurs (10) |
| UL Vikings (11) | Dublin Rebels (12) |
IAFA are delighted to announce of Rob Hennessy (Cork Admirals) as the new Child Protection Officer replacing Finn Connaughton (South Dublin Panthers).
We would like to thank Finn for all the work he has given to IAFA and we are looking forward to work with Rob going forward.
IAFA are delighted to announce the following changes in positions and appointment of personnel for the following roles within the board, the officiating department and youth football.
We would like to thank Donncha Ó Conmhuí, Derek Ward and Jason Mahony for all the work they provided and look forward to work with the newly appointed personnel.
IAFA Flag Football is now 5 years old this month and the interest keeps on growing. To mark the occasion we thought we’d let you know what 2019 is going to be like for IAFA Flag
Since the birth of the Emerald Bowl Conference (EBC) in 2014, teams have come and gone but the level of the game as only be raised every year making it difficult for new entrants to compete against more experienced teams and hoping to win the championship. So in order to make IAFA Flag more competitive and fairer for all we will be kicking off EBC’s 6th season with a few twists.
Other programmes will also be taking place this year:
We will have more detailed posts about each upcoming event in the near future so stay tuned.
From today, the Irish American Football Association members will carry out all of their registration through Go Membership from Azolve. IAFA members can register with the new system by following this link.
This will bring a true membership facility to IAFA members and is a significant upgrade over previous systems. It will allow clubs to more closely monitor the status of their members and it will allow the association get a true picture of its membership.
Benefits include.
Rules regarding membership have not changed.
You must have a valid membership to train (either full or trial membership).
You must be registered two weeks in advance of a game with a full membership to take part.
Find the information sheet on how to register here.
Any questions or issues experienced while using the new registrations system should be directed to enquiries@americanfootball.ie
Due to an ever growing interest and membership, Flag Football is becoming a key element in the growth of American Football in Ireland.
With a record number of teams and the most members involved in the Emerald Bowl Conference league in 4 years running, and it has been decided to re-vamp the Flag Football Committee (FFC) to make sure all aspects of the sport are efficiently developed and managed. The newly appointed committee members will be working with IAFA Director of Flag Football, Guillaume Poznanski, reporting to the Board of IAFA.
The FFC will be an essential part of ensuring that IAFA 2019 strategic plan for Flag Football in Ireland are successfully implemented. Some of the key elements of the plan the FFC will be working on are (and this is by no means an exhaustive list):
IAFA are pleased to announce the appointments of the following to serve as members of the Flag Football Committee:
Ethan Fitzsimons, who was invaluable as IAFA Administrator, has accepted to take on the role of IAFA Assistant Director of Flag Football and will be a great asset to the FFC working closely with the Director of Flag Football.
 | Robbie Caldwell from the Louth Mavericks. Robbie has played for the Louth Mavericks for 7 years (the Dundalk Mavericks then). Robbie has played as running back mainly, but stepped in different positions and was part of the Mavericks squad who won the IAFA League 1 in 2017. He has played Flag Football for two years and is now the Mavericks Flag Football team head coach. Robbie is also a strong follower of the Washington Redskins. |
 | Dave Healy from UCC Raiders/Cork Admirals. Dave is entering his third season of football. He plays defensive back for the Cork Admirals and won Shamrock Bowl 32 as defensive captain and also helped coach the Cork Admirals Youth team to victory in 2018. Dave was called onto the Irish Wolfhounds squad for their win against the Belgian Barbarians and has also founded the UCC Raiders Flag Football club two years ago. He is a proud Green Bay Packers fan. |
 | Daniel Shaw from the Belfast Trojans. Daniel has been involved in American Football in Ireland since he was 16. Daniel coached the Ulster Elks for two seasons and is now the team manager of the Belfast Trojans Flag Football team and is also involved in the kitted setup. Daniel is an avid Dallas Cowboys fan. |
 | Robbie Tighe from the Edenderry Eagles/Cill Dara Crusaders. Robbie was introduced to American Football with the Edenderry Eagles in 2015 and hasn't looked back since. He won Emerald Bowl 4 with the Eagles in 2017. He has experience playing and managing in both kitted and Flag Football. He has no real NFL team allegiance but has a soft spot for the Atlanta Falcons. |
 | Todd Zboyan from the Dublin Bay Raptors. Todd is originally from Seattle (USA) and has over 25 years experience in kitted and Flag Football (in the US and Ireland) and has played for the Dublin Vipers who won the Emerald Bowl 3 in 2017. Todd is currently the head coach of the Dublin Bay Raptors and is also a massive Seahawks fan. |
The Irish American Football Association (IAFA) are delighted to announce the return of National Team Program following a 2-year hiatus. As part of that, the Irish Wolfhounds will take on the Belgian Barbarians in an International match on October 20th.
Continue reading “Ireland to host Belgium in October”
The Donegal/Derry Vipers will host the West Dublin Rhinos this weekend in an IAFL1 semi-final in Limavady Rugby Club as both sides battle it out to reach this year’s IAFL1 Bowl in Wexford. Continue reading “Vipers raring to go”
We caught up with Wexford Eagles Head Coach Kevin Klatt for a quick Q&A ahead of their Playoff semi-final against the Craigavon Cowboys this Weekend Continue reading “Q&A with Wexford Eagles Head Coach Kevin Klatt”
Wildcard Weekend produced everything you’d expect from Playoff Football, overtime games, tough defensive battles and some high scoring, as some teams moved on while others saw their season come to a shuddering end. Continue reading “Wildcard Weekend thrills and spills”
It’s a Belfast derby on Wildcard weekend in the SBC as the Trojans and the Knights do battle at Harlequins Rugby Club on Sunday afternoon. This is their third meeting of the season, with both sides winning their away games. Continue reading “Knights looking to take Belfast bragging rights in Wildcard weekend”
This weekend in the Shamrock Bowl Conference saw the Trojans beat the Knights in a Belfast Derby, the reigning champions Rebels thrash the Vikings, the students of UCD finish the regular season unbeaten on 8-0, and the Panthers close in on a late Playoff place. Continue reading “Weekly Round-up: UCD end the season unbeaten and Trojans win the battle of Belfast”
In Ireland, Flag Football is a relatively new sport with a very small footprint in the world of Irish sport. Flag Football is to American Football what Tag Rugby is to Rugby Union, a contact free version of American Football with agility and speed at its core. Continue reading “Interview with Flag Football Director Guillaume Poznanski”
There was only two games over the weekend, as unfortunately the other three games were called off due lack of player numbers, whilst the lack of an ambulance impacted on another. Continue reading “Weekly round-up: Rebels win Shamrock Bowl renewal and Rhinos keep the pressure on the Eagles”
It was a big weekend in the race for the playoffs in IAFL1 as the Wexford Eagles were looking to move to 6-0 while the Donegal/Derry Vipers were hoping to clinch a playoff spot with an away win over the Meath Bulldogs. Continue reading “Weekly Round-up: Vipers reach the playoffs while the Eagles go 6-0”
The Wexford Eagles had only one goal heading into the 2018 season, promotion. After two years of relative success, where they were finalists in the IAFL 2 Bowl game in 2016 followed by semi-finalists in IAFL 1 last season, the Eagles now want to take that step up to the Shamrock Bowl Conference and test themselves against the best the country has to offer. Continue reading “Interview with Wexford Eagles Head Coach Kevin Klatt”
The big game over the weekend saw the champions, the Dublin Rebels head up to Belfast to face an ever improving Trojans side in Harlequins Rugby Club on Sunday afternoon.
The IAFA Flag Football Emerald Bowl Conference is back!
Team registration opens today!
The season format will change a little from previous ones.
Games will be played from September 1st through to December 1st with the playoffs and Emerald Bowl V games on December 1st.
The season will run with a maximum of 20 teams who will be divided across 4 geographical divisions.
Each team will play 10 games – 8 divisional games and 2 interdivisional games.
All teams must submit the names of their Team Manager and Head Coach, with at least one of them being a non-playing member.
Teams a can have a maximum of 30 mixed players on their overall roster, with a maximum of 20 players on game day.
Games will run, as previously done, on a blitz format with several teams meeting at the one venue. Continue reading “Emerald Bowl Conference is back!”
On the 31st of March at the Under 20’s game in Navan Impact Gum Shields will be present to fit people for their advanced gumshields. Booking this fitting is essnetial. Please fill out your name and contact email on this form to be added to the list. Impact Gumshields are offering discounted prices to IAFA Members. All information below! Don’t miss this great opportunity! Continue reading “Impact Gumshields”
The Management Board of IAFA is now seeking people to fill the following roles. Click the link to see the role profile. Applications forwarded to liam@americanfootball.ie
The game will take place at Navan Rugby Club on Saturday, 31st of March. The Under 20’s held their first practice session on Saturday the 17th of February in Dublin. General Manager Alan Orr, overseeing the young team take to the field for the first time, said –
‘This is a great opportunity for IAFA and the international youth team to showcase the talent of players and coaches in our League. It also gives us a great platform to build a sustainable future on the International stage and help to promote and develop the game throughout Ireland and I am personally looking forward to the challenge in achieving these goals set by our new President.’
The game will kick off at 1 pm and will feature players from teams throughout Ireland, north and south, and from both divisions, SBC & IAFL 1.
For queries contact enquiries@americanfootball.ie
The AGM was held on Sunday the 28th of January at the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel in Dublin. A full report on topics discussed and outcomes of submissions by teams, board members & officials will come in time. A number of new people were elected to the Board of Managment and as a result, there has been a significant change to the makeup of the governance of the organisation.
First, it is important to acknowledge the contributions of those outgoing members and the service provided to the Association this year and in years past. Particularly Cillian Smith, who stepped down as Commissioner of the League, for his long and faithful service in that role. Cillian will continue as an ordinary Board Member. Also, thanks must go to outgoing President Michael Smith, following the expiration of his term.
The new members of the Board are, Liam Ryan, from University of Limerick Vikings, who was elected to a three-year term after topping the poll. Stuart Donaldson of the Cork Admirals, who was also elected to a three-year term. Stevie McCrystal of the Belfast Knights, who was elected to complete the remaining two years of one of the vacated seats and Donncha Ó Conmhuí, of the Dublin Rebels, who was also elected to complete the remaining two years of one of the vacated seats.
Orla McAleese, previously Team Ireland General Manager and of the North Kildare Reapers was elected as President to serve a three-year term, the first female President of IAFA. President McAleese had the following message for the membership.
My plan for the association is very simple and has three key components. The first is communication. It is important that you are being heard. I will answer my phone and my emails. I am eager to hold conversations and I listen to hear, not to merely answer. As President, I can guarantee you that you will be heard and you will be answered. Nobody in this association will be ignored or forgotten about.
The next component is the Board of IAFA. The Board works for you, the membership. We will be accountable to you. We are just the custodians of your association and we will remain so at your discretion. The Board should lead by example and by what the membership wants, not the other way around. As President, I will guarantee that board meetings will be productive, positive and professional. We are all individuals, from varied backgrounds and skillsets, we all have the same priority; football on this Island.
Last but not least, Transparency. Now that I am your President. IAFA will be transparent in its operation. If the board works for you then they are accountable and accountability is reliant on transparency. From our finances to national and international matters, we will be clear in our dealings. The age of secrecy has ended.
I firmly believe that if we work together on these three key components that everything else we work for will come together. It will make a difference to how football is perceived and played on this Island, Everyone involved in this sport, be it coaches, players, admin, officials and board members will get the support they need to help make their club or organisation better. Whether it is education for coaches and players, administrative or fiscal knowledge to run a club. We can go back to grassroots to help our clubs be strong and football will be strong as a result.
We need to remember what this association is based on, football and the love people have of the game.
Thank you for electing me your president and your time in reading this message.
– Orla McAleese,
President
Irish American Football Assocation.
