Last Sunday, we held our AGM in CityWest Hotel where a number of topics were discussed and approved for implementation. Every club and department is represented at the AGM and allows them to raise proposals to the Board and discuss matters arising from last season and the coming season. The following are the major highlights from the meeting:

• The positions held by both Cillian Smith and Matt Craig were up for election, and both Cillian and Matt were re-elected
• The 2015 Annual Report was presented, which highlighted a number of exciting developments and expansions for the sport, including:
  • Significant increases in player registration
  • Successful Senior Kitted league season
  • The development of a successful Flag Football league and the inaugural Championship, Emerald Bowl I
  • Commencement of a Junior Kitted league
  • Success in Europe with the Belfast Trojans winning the GFLI Atlantic Cup
  • Implementation of new sanctioning rules for third party events
  • Introduction of a new team workshop
  • Election of an IAFA representative to the Presidium of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) (Janice Ward)
  • Moving into the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown
• We have three new teams hoping to play in the IAFL2 division next season:
  • North Dublin Pirates
  • PSNI Razorbacks
  • Wexford Eagles
• It was recognised that the biggest challenge for the future of the sport is to cater for everyone seeking to play football, thanks to the rise in the sport’s popularity
• Some amendments were made to the Disciplinary Code around the standards of filming games
• A new concussion protocol was introduced
• There will be a complete revamping of the Officiating training programme, with courses to be delivered by experienced German tutors starting in January
• We have applied for two new Coaching Tutors to be trained with Coaching Ireland
• We are actively seeking Sport Ireland funding to establish a Development Officer
• In-competition drug testing will be carried out in Senior Kitted football
• The Kitted Senior football season will have a similar structure to the 2015 season

All 22 clubs hoping to play competitive kitted football next season attended their annual face to face audit meeting at CityWest in Dublin yesterday. These meetings serve as an important quality control measure to ensure that each team playing competitive football has everything in place and is competing at the appropriate level. They also afford each club an opportunity to give the IAFA feedback.

Several weeks ago, each club had submitted a detailed audit/application form concerning their club covering topics such as administration, finances, home ground, playing roster and coaching squad. After having reviewed these forms, each team was given the opportunity to discuss the status of their club and any issues arising in a confidential face to face meeting with IAFA Board members/Directors. Three groups of IAFA Board members/Directors each met with 7 or 8 allocated teams during the course of the day, with each meeting taking c.1 hour. Newcomers North Dublin Pirates, PSNI Razorbacks and Wexford Eagles all attended.

 

The AGM of the IAFA will take place on Sunday 6^th December 2015 at CityWest Hotel in Saggart, Dublin – commencing at 1pm.

Proposals:

Proposals for the AGM must be submitted in writing to the commissioner by Sunday 22^nd November 2015. [by email to commissioner@americanfootball.ie or by post to 19 Castle Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22].

Elections:

There are three Management Board positions up for elections as follows:

2 x Positions up for election as part of the regular 3 year cycle – currently occupied by Cillian Smith & Matt Craig.

1 x Position up for election as a result of the resignation of John Judge – the replacement Management Board member will be elected for the remainder of Mr. Judges term i.e. 1 year.

There will be a single election at the AGM. The 2 x candidates receiving the highest will be elected for a 3 year period and the 3^rd placed candidate will be elected for the remainder of Mr. Judge’s term i.e. 1 year,.

Candidates who wish to put themselves forward for election shall complete the attached candidate for election form [see below] and submitt it to the Commissioner by Sunday 22^nd November 2015. [by email to commissioner@americanfootball.ie or by post to 19 Castle Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22].

 

Constitutional Amendments:

There are two Constitutional Amendments proposed for the upcoming AGM as follows:

5. Management Board.

The following clause to be inserted to replace the current 5(e) clause.

“5 (e) The Management Board shall meet at least six (6) times each year. If any individual member of the Management Board attends less than 50% of the Management Board meetings between the date of the most recent AGM and the date of announcement of the next AGM, their Management Board position will be automatically deemed to be vacant and the vacancy will be filled as per the procedure outlined in 5 (d).”

Rationale – there is no set procedure for replacing Board members who have been unavailable for Management Board meetings.

 

14. Finance.

The following clauses to be inserted to replace the current 14(a) and 14(c) clauses.

“14(a) With effect from 31^st August 2015, the financial year of the Association will end on 31^st August in each year.”

and

“(c) A copy of the audited accounts for the financial year ending on the previous 31^st August shall be circulated to the Officers, Management Board and Designated Official of each club at least seven (7) days prior to the AGM.” 

Rationale – Sport Ireland (which now includes the former Irish Sports Council) requires accounts to be passed before their mid year review date. Changing the financial year allows the accounts to be passed at the December AGM. Alternatively, the IAFA would have to move it’s AGM to late Spring, which is not practical given that our kitted seasons starts in early Spring. Starting a new financial year on 1^st September also fits in with our cycle of work i.e. the old season ends in August and preparations for the following season start in September. The reduction in the time for circulating the accounts is to allow sufficient time for the accountants to produce the accounts given the much shorter timeframe between the end of financial year and the presentation of the accounts at the AGM. Sport Ireland has permitted the IAFA to make these changes to the financial year.

Documentation:

All relevant documentation for the AGM will be circulated 1 week in advance of the meeting. Delegates should take care to read the parts of the IAFA Constitution concerning the AGM and elections.

Cillian Smith

Commissioner

IAFA

Candidate for Election Form – to be submitted on a single A4 sheet of paper.

 

Candidate for Election

 

Election Type (e.g. IAFA Board):_____________________Date:_______________

 

Name:

List Board Position(s) candidate is standing for:

 

Team Affiliation (if any):

 

Previous teams:

 

No. of Years as IAFL member:

 

Official (Y/N)               Coach (Y/N)               Player (Y/N):

 

Committee Experience
Organisation/Club	Positions	Dates

 

Additional information to be circulated to Team Managers

Update 29/10/15: DTTAS changes Head of Tourism Division.

The IAFA welcomes the decision of the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport to move Mr. Ray O’Leary, Assistant Secretary from the Tourism Division.

Mr. O’Leary had a central role in some of the issues which have been highlighted by the IAFA in recent years. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary in charge of Tourism – replacing Mr. Maurice Quinn – he had worked as the Principal Officer in the area.

The IAFA is of the view that the replacement of Mr. O’Leary presents an opportunity to change the work practises in the Tourism Division to ensure compliance with public service best practice going forward.

 

IAFA disagrees with view expressed in Sunday Times that it has an entitlement to run the €100m events.

Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport covers up unsavoury interactions with organisers of substandard events.

 On Sunday 11^th October, the Sunday Times published a disjointed and confusing article concerning the IAFA’s interactions with the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport. The IAFA would like to clarify some of the issues raised.

 The IAFA is the National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport in Ireland. It is regarded as one of the most successful sporting organisations in the country having exponentially expanded its membership in recent years. The IAFA actively promotes Ireland as a destination for major American football events. In addition to performing a regulatory role, the IAFA has a policy of supporting the organisers of such events and assisting them with promoting the sport locally. The 2014 Croke Park Classic – which is the most successful of the large scale events to visit Ireland to date – is a very good example of this policy working well.

 The IAFA strenuously disagrees with the statement in the Sunday Times that the IAFA itself should run the “€100m” events. The IAFA has never sought to directly run any such events nor is it planning to do so in the future. On the contrary, the IAFA believes that it is inappropriate for a voluntary NGB to take the commercial risks associated with such large scale events. If, as suggested in the article, the IAFA were to exercise an ‘entitlement’ to run such events, it could also severely limit the number of events coming into the country. The IAFA’s own rules currently envisage that these events will be run by those parties who own the event.

 The IAFA can confirm that it has had a disagreement with the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport on an important issue impacting on many sports in Ireland. All games and events run by the IAFA and its members must comply with specified ‘best practice’ requirements in areas such as health & safety, player welfare and child protection.

 In recent years, the Irish sporting scene has seen significant growth in commercial organisations running sporting activities that are not linked to any sporting NGB or affiliated club. Most of these are small scale organisations in areas such as sports tourism, sports camps and independently run games/tournaments. Many involve children and young adults.

 The IAFA is firmly of the view that all American football activities in Ireland should comply with the same minimum health & safety, player welfare and child protection standards as its own activities. It refuses to sanction the activities of, or provide assistance to, operators who do not comply with these standards.

Officials in the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport have sought to put pressure on the IAFA to sanction and force its members to participate in third party run events which do not meet our safety and welfare standards. Officials, such as Maurice Quinn, who is quoted in the Sunday Times article, have cited the less stringent requirements in “other countries” – e.g. Tanzania and Mexico – as the rationale for seeking to force the IAFA to facilitate substandard events.

 The IAFA has refused to compromise its standards and will not expose its members to potential harm by participating in such events.

 The Irish Sports Council has told the IAFA that it fully supports its refusal to sanction substandard events.

 In recent months, the Information Commissioner has conducted a number of investigations in the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport at the request of the IAFA. Arising from these investigations and the consequential documents released to the IAFA, the following facts have come to our attention:

• Maurice Quinn, the official who wrote the letter quoted in the Sunday Times, did so at the request of an organiser who was refused sanction for an event due to serious safety and welfare deficiencies.
• Irish Sports Council CEO, John Treacy wrote to Maurice Quinn highlighting the health & safety issues with the aforementioned event.
• The organiser supplied the Department with false and misleading information.
• In a direct communication with the Department, the organiser expressed disturbing views on a child abuse incident in the United States.
• Maurice Quinn’s attempt to put pressure on the IAFA and his interactions with the organiser were not in accordance any documented Departmental policy or procedure in this area.
• The Department sought to hide evidence of its interactions with the organiser by not including them on the list of documents declared to be on file within the Department. These documents were subsequently discovered in physical searches ordered by the Information Commissioner.

 We understand that Maurice Quinn has now moved onto another Government Department. We also understand that the above mentioned organiser has been active in other sports in Ireland in recent times.

 This unsavoury incident is symptomatic of a disconnect between the Department and the sporting community in Ireland. Departmental officials should make greater efforts to directly engage with sports organisations, particularly where they propose to intervene their activities. They should take more care in checking the bone fides of parties they interact with and information they receive. They should also be conscious that as citizens and residents of this country, members of voluntary sporting organisations such as the IAFA, have the right to enjoy their activities without fear of being coerced into putting themselves and others at risk to provide commercial income to unconnected third parties.

On 17^th September last, the IAFA asked the Department to undertake a formal investigation into this incident.

At its Board meeting on October 11^th, the IAFA Board decided to allow registration for the 2016 season to commence immediately. It past years, registration did not open until mid-December. There were a number of factors in favour of this including the following:

• Allowing clubs to sign up players as they recruit them during the off-season.
• Eliminating the need for new players to pay an additional fee to train or play with their clubs during the off-season.
• Allowing players to spread their various payments to club, association etc. over a longer period of time – most have to pay club fees in Q1 of each year.
• Facilitating the proposal to change the financial year to 1^st September.

 Additionally, the online registration system has been extended to include Coaches and Officials in addition to players and non-playing members (e.g. administrators). Players, Coaches, Officials and other members can register at the following link:

 https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/iafa-senior-registration-2016-registration-19030608061

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.

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 12^th 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.

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.

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.

Sunday 19^th 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 26^th. 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 2^nd 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 2^nd August.

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 31^st 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

  

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 17^th 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.

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.

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 17^th 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.

Results – April 26^th:

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.

On 13^th April, the IAFA Board approved new rules for the sanctioning of games and events. These new rules have introduced a new clearer and more streamlined process as well as affording better protection to both Irish and overseas teams involved in events.

“Hosting overseas teams is very important to us and our teams. We want all visitors to our shores to have a great experience.” explained Cillian Smith, IAFA Commissioner. “Unfortunately there have been a number of instances in recent years where third party run events have been deficient in basic safety and welfare requirements. We’ve also had both visiting teams, IAFA members and tourism suppliers left out of pocket. These unsavoury practices must be stopped if Ireland is to remain an attractive country for overseas events. Ireland should be promoted as a place where player safety and welfare is used to attract visiting teams and events.”

The new rules have been introduced following a comprehensive review of all events and applications made in recent years. One of the major findings of this review was that many events/games arranged by overseas agents were uninsured and many of the aforementioned agents were not bonded as required by Law for travel agents in Ireland.

Significant features of the new rules include the following:

–         As with the previous rules, all games must comply with the basic safety and welfare requirements that all Irish clubs currently adhere to.

–         All events must be appropriately insured.

–         Sports tours must be appropriately bonded/guaranteed – fully protecting the visiting teams payments.

–         Sanction fees for commercial games/events have been streamlined into 5 categories, depending on the size of the event. Fees, which start at only €2,000 for commercial/income generating events, will include legal and compliance costs.

–         Irish clubs hosting commercial events will be guaranteed payment of their costs.

–         The application deadlines have been changed to the following (i) 3 months for games involving IAFA and/or GFL International teams and (ii) 6 months for all other events.

The new application from can be obtained from the Commissioner and a copy will be posted on this site within the next 2-3 weeks.

The IAFA is pleased to announce that Colum Lavery with be joining the IAFA as its external Board member. In line with corporate governance ‘best practice’, the IAFA Constitution provides for the appointment of an external Board member to its nine person Board.

Colum is a full time employee of World Rugby (formerly known as the IRB) where he is their Member Services Manager. His role includes governance, logistics and monitoring compliance with World Rugby’s membership pathway and criteria.

Colum is also the current President of Softball Ireland, where he was involved in the development of their high performance program and the hosting of the recent European Softball Congress.

Prior to working for World Rugby, Colum was employed in the financial sector in company secretarial services.

The IAFA is very pleased to have Colum on board – his professional/international sports experience and understanding of American sports will be a big asset to the organisation.

The Irish American Football Association is the Federation of Irish Sports NGB of the Month for January 2015. The FIS is the representative body for Irish sport who’s objects include:

• Raising Political Awareness of the benefits of sport
• Increasing State Investment in Sport
• Underpinning and Promoting Sport as part of Education
• Establishing and Promoting Sport as part of Health
• Increasing interaction between National Governing Bodies These objectives remain at the core of the Federation’s ongoing work.

The following profile of the IAFA was published in the FIS monthly newsletter:

http://irishsport.ie/wpress/index.php/2015/01/ngb-of-the-month-irish-american-football-association/

NGB of the Month: Irish American Football Association

History of American Football in Ireland

The first game of American football in Ireland was first in Belfast in 1942 by two teams of U.S. servicemen to raise funds for the Red Cross. In 1947, a similar game was played in Croke Park between U.S servicemen returning from World War II – this is believed to be the first time a foreign sport was played in this historic stadium.

However American football kicked off in Ireland in the 1980’s when many TV networks started broadcasting NFL and college football games. This gave Irish fans more access to the sport than ever before, so much so that in 1984, a group of Irish American football fans were motivated to advertise for players in the local press – 65 people attended the first training session in the Phoenix Park in Dublin and Ireland’s first kitted football team, the Dublin Celts, was formed.

The Irish American Football League (IAFL) was formed in 1986 and 11 teams joined to play the first full season. At that time, the Shamrock Bowl champions earned a spot in the EuroBowl, the European Championships. The Dublin Celts won the Shamrock Bowl three years in a row and represented Ireland in the Eurobowl.

The sport went through various ups and downs during the 1990s before being re-launched in 2001. The IAFA is the NGB for the sport in Ireland and represents and manages the domestic leagues, officiating and coaching. IAFA also works on developing the scope of American football in Ireland and have both hosted US and European teams and competitions as well as working with other NGBs on major events such as the Croke Park Classic.

Growth of the sport

In 2003, the IAFA affiliated to the European Federation of American Football (EFAF) and gained ISC recognition in 2004. The noughties marked the start of a huge growth period for the sport. As recently as 2002 there were only 4 clubs and 120 participants active in the sport – now there are 20 senior clubs, 15 flag football teams and 6 junior teams. Active participation rates have increased to over 2,000 people.

As a result of our Development and Strategic plans, we have established programs to enable younger players to get involved in the sport. We have run a School Flag Football program for a number of years, for both male and female players, and we are in the process of starting a junior league for players aged 16-19.

American football is played in 64 countries worldwide including almost every country in Europe, where there are currently in excess of 120,000 registered participants in over 30 countries. As part of the development of the sport, we strive to make Ireland a major contender on the European and International scene, and as such have started to build a National team. We have also hosted a number of US and European clubs and competitions, including two European Championships and recurring fixtures with US and Canadian clubs. We also actively partner with other NGBs to bring other major fixtures to Ireland, such as with the GAA to host the past two Croke Park Classics.

About the game

American football is a physical and intense sport that on the face of it can be complex. However once the basics are understood it is a simple game to follow.

An American football team is divided into three sections – the Offense, Defense and Special Teams. The Offense’s objective is to move the ball down the field to score points. The Defense’s objective is to stop this happening, by either stealing possession or preventing the Offense from making at least 10 yards in 4 attempts. The Special Teams take the field when the ball is to be kicked, e.g. kick off, punts or field goals.

Scoring in American football has similarities to rugby. By a team’s offense getting the ball into the Endzone, they 6 points. The offense can then convert this by either kicking it through the posts to score one point, or attempting to run/pass it into the Endzone again for 2 points. At any time, and when close enough, an offense can also kick a field goal for three points.

While most fans of the sport are familiar with the NFL rules, throughout Europe, the NCAA rules are followed. These are the rules that are used in US College football.

Contact Football

There are 20 clubs competing in the full-contact Irish league across three divisions:

• The premier division, the SBC, has 10 teams over two Conferences, North and South. These teams compete for the Shamrock Bowl
• The IAFL1 division has 6 clubs and is for smaller or less experienced teams. The IAFL1 champion is promoted to the SBC
• The IAFL2 division has 4 clubs taking part and is designed for new teams to get experience before moving into a higher league. SBC clubs may also field 2nd teams in this league for their new players

Junior Football

The Junior Football league is a full-contact league for players age 16-19 and follows slightly modified NCAA rules . Junior Football is taking off throughout Europe and a lot of younger players are eager to get involved in the sport.

Flag Football

Flag Football is a non-contact version of American football and is similar in concept to Tag Rugby. Players wear a belt with two flags which the opposing team pulls to tackle them. In Ireland, 5-v-5 rules are used so teams would have one Quarterback, one Lineman and a combination of players to either run the football or receive a pass. Flag football is a fantastic way to get into the sport and enables both male and female players to take part – this is why we use it in schools. Last year we also introduced the first adult flag football league.

Achievements

IAFA have hosted the Western European Championships, the Atlantic Cup, in 2010 and again in 2013 as part of The Gathering Dublin. The Atlantic Cup brings clubs from Ireland, France, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg.

IAFA worked with the GAA, who hosted last year’s Croke Park Classic between Penn State and UCF. Over 53,000 spectators packed Croke Park to watch these two titans of US college football play one of the opening fixtures of the NCAA league, which is believed to be a record for the most spectators at an NCAA game outside of the US.

2015 – What lies in store?

2015 is expected to be a huge year for IAFA. As well as the inaugural Junior Football and Flag Football leagues, we also have the highest number of teams ever playing full contact senior football. On top of this, IAFA has established a National programme with a view to taking on an International side later this year.

Are you up for the Challenge?

Our clubs are always looking for new players, so if you want to play a sport that is different and exciting, please check out our website or Facebook page or contact us at info@americanfootball.ie

Email:  info@americanfootball.ie

Website: www.americanfootball.ie

Social: www.facebook.com/iafaireland, www.twitter.com/iafaireland

After last Sunday’s divisional championship games, the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks will compete in Superbowl XILV on the 1st February. This year’s Superbowl will be played in the University of Phoenix stadium in Arizona, the third time a Superbowl has been held in this stadium with the last being Superbowl XLII in 2008.

While many venues are will be showing the Superbowl, a number of our teams are hosting Superbowl parties around the country so if you’re looking for somewhere to watch it, check out the venues below:

Belfast

Belfast Trojans

The Trojans are returning to Madisons Hotel on Botanic Avenue in Belfast to host their Superbowl event. This is a member’s event but a one day membership can be purchased for £8 in advance or £10 on the night from from Madisons’ reception desk. The Trojans have also partnered with Budweiser NI and are offering 5 bottles of Budweiser for €10. For more information, check out their Facebook event page at www.facebook.com/events/325351137669305.

Dublin

Dublin Rebels

The Rebels are hosting their Superbowl event in The Odeon on Harcourt St, kicking off at 8pm with DJ Sean Harley. This amazing venue will be transformed into a digital hub of AV multimedia with the game being shown live on a truck load of HD TV screens including a massive cinema style screen. The Odeon will of course be serving food throughout the night with drinks promotions also available, guaranteed to deliver that NFL experience and as usual the Rebel’s Cheerleaders will be there doing their thing. Tickets are only €10 and usually sell out fast, so for more information and to buy tickets, head to the Rebels’ Facebook event page at www.facebook.com/events/313137845562452.

South Dublin Panthers

The Panthers are teaming up with their long-time sponsor, Sinnotts Bar, to host their Superbowl event. Entry is free and you can watch the game on 10 big screens while enjoying buckets of beer, hot dogs, wings and loads more American themed food. For more information head over to their Facebook event page at www.facebook.com/events/707970152635349/.

Limerick

UL Vikings

The Vikings have partnered with Flannery’s Bar on Denmark St to host a Superbowl event, kicking off at 9pm. Entry is free and Flannery’s will have an American themed BBQ and many drinks promotions. Fore more information, check the event on Facebook at www.facebook.com/superbowlparty.limerick?fref=ts.

Meath

Meath Bulldogs

The Bulldogs are hosting their Superbowl event in Navan RFC, their home venue for the upcoming season. Kicking off at 9pm, they’ll have their BBQ going for a range of American themed food to keep you nourished while watching the game on their large screen. For more information, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MeathBulldogs.

Cork

Cork Admirals

The Admirals are also hosting their Superbowl event in their home venue, Dolphin RFC. They’ll have competitions and food & drink to keep you going to the wee hours and entry is only €5, which includes entry into their main raffle for some pretty awesome prizes. For more details, head over to their Facebook event page at www.facebook.com/events/776310799122259.

Louth

Dundalk Mavericks

The Mavericks are again hosting their Superbowl event with their sponsors, Kehoe’s Bar in Dundalk. The game will be screened on three TVs and there’ll be food, music, games, spot prizes and drink promos throughout the night. Entry is free and for more information, check out their Facebook event at www.facebook.com/events/1776210909270794.

Kildare

North Kildare Reapers

Join the North Kildare Reapers and their sponsors McGargles at their annual Superbowl event taking place in the North Kildare Club in Kilcock. Kicking off at 9pm, they’ll have food and drink to keep you going all night as well as the Superbowl Squares competition where you can win between €50 and €150. For full details about the night, check out their website at www.nkreapers.com.

The Irish Sports Council have announced that the 2015 Irish Anti-Doping Rules are now available to download from their website. This page will also have fact sheets for stakeholders and athletes that outline the main changes between the 2009 Rules and 2015 Rules. The 2015 Rules will come into effect from January 1st 2015.

Last Saturday, the IAFA AGM took place in CityWest Hotel, Dublin. The AGM gives the IAFA Board an opportunity to update the clubs on how the sport fared last season and announce new initiatives for the coming season. It also gives clubs a chance to ask questions of the Board 19 of our 21 clubs were represented along with representatives from the Flag Football, Coaching and Officiating divisions and a number of topics were discussed including:

Management Report
IAFA President Michael Smith outlined his report on the future of the sport and demonstrated how it has grown over the years. In particular he highlighted the increase in clubs, the success of the new adult Flag Football league, the establishment of a Youth Football programme and proposed developments to officiating, including a new training structure and an elite programme. Michael also outlined targets for 2016 including having a large IAFL1 conference and more international fixtures.

New Board Members
The position of President was up for election again and Michael Smith nominated himself for a second term. As there was no other applications, Michael was deemed elected. In addition, there were three vacant Board positions and three applicants, Ian Cahill, Fergal O’Hanlon and Michael Smith, so all three were deemed elected.

New clubs
IAFA received applications from two new clubs this season – DIT who were applying for Formative status and the North West Vipers who were applying for Associative status. As a Formative member, DIT can begin the process of setting their club up with assistance from IAFA but cannot compete in league fixtures. As an Associate member, the Vipers can participate fully in league fixtures. Both clubs’ memberships were approved and were welcomed into the IAFA community.

SBC Schedule for 2015
The Board released the schedule for the SBC conference and issued each team with their fixture list. Full details of the schedule will be released very soon. The IAFL1 schedule has been drafted, but after feedback from the clubs it will be redesigned to include semi-finals. The IAFL2 schedule will be released in the new year.

Online Registration
IAFA intends to introduce an online registration system to allow players register for the 2015 season. Again based on feedback from clubs, registration will also change slightly. To make it easier for potential players to begin training without paying the full registration fee, this fee will be split into a smaller membership fee and a competition fee.

International Fixtures
With the continued success of the Ireland programme, the Board intend on scheduling an away fixture against Belgium towards the end of 2015.

Events
A number of events are scheduled for next season – the Shamrock Bowl, IAFL1 and IAFL2 Bowl games, the final of the Flag Football league (to take place prior to the Shamrock Bowl), 4th July games and some other fixtures against International club teams.

Anti-Doping
The Irish Sports Council have released their 2015 Irish Anti-Doping Rules and the Board made the clubs aware of the anti-doping process and that IAFA fully supports and participates in this programme.

On the 8th November, the College Championships were held in UCD between the UL Vikings, Trinity College and hosts UCD. The Vikings and UCD played in the first game of the day, with UCD beating the Vikings 6-0 and moving to the final to take on Trinity College. However due to extremely bad weather, that game was postponed and is now taking place on Sunday, again in UCD:

KO: 1pm
Admission: Free
Parking: there are plenty of parking areas within UCD, including free options.
Pitch: UCD Rugby Astro pitch.
Pitch location: E:3 on this mapUCD’s Facebook page.

Audit meetings are taking place this week for all of the 20 teams who have applied to play competitive league kitted football in 2015. The bulk of the meetings will take place in Dublin on Saturday 22nd November and Dundalk on Sunday 23rd November.

As part of the annual application process, all IAFL teams are required to submit a detailed questionnaire and supporting information to the IAFA Board annually. Over the past month, the submissions have been reviewed. Each team will have a face to face meeting with IAFA Board members to discuss their applications and any issues arising over the past season. The audit meetings themselves are divided into two parts

• Administration/off-field
• Playing/coaching

The aim of the meetings are to ensure that all teams are capable of competing, to provide constructive feedback and to resolve any issues the club may be having. Meetings are held in a confidential environment to promote open and honest dialogue.

The implementation of the audit/application process in recent years has been a great aid to club development and is believed to be a major contributor to the success of this past season whereby all clubs fully completed all their league requirements.

Audit Dates/Times

[Where 2 teams scheduled for the same time, one will attend the admin/off-field meeting while the other is attending the playing/coaching meeting. Teams will then swap over].

All teams have been asked to bring details of their scheduling availability to the meeting to allow the league schedule to be completed in time for the AGM on 13th December.

Saturday 22nd November
Crowne Plaza, Northwood, Dublin

10am – Mullingar Minotaurs
11am – Dublin Rebels, South Kildare Soldiers
Noon – West Dublin Rhinos
1pm – Cork Admirals, Waterford Wolves
3pm – Galway Warriors
4pm – North Kildare Reapers, South Dublin Panthers
5pm – TCD, UCD

Sunday 23rd November
Crowne Plaza, Dundalk

Noon – Meath Bulldogs, Drogheda Lightning
1pm – Belfast Trojans, Derry/Donegal Vipers
3pm –Carrickfergus Knights, Tyrone Titans
4pm – Craigavon Cowboys, Dundalk Mavericks

UL Vikings audit will take place midweek due to the team being away at an International event.

On Saturday the 22nd November, the UL Vikings will be travelling to Granada in Spain to play a friendly against the Granada Lions, who compete in Serie B of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (LNFA). Organised by the Vikings’ Ian Cahill and Alvaro Carvajal Martinez, who played for the Vikings last season, this game is a chance for both teams to continue to grow both their teams and their newer players.

Commenting on the game, Ian Cahill said “This game is part of the second year of the Vikings three year development plan, which we undertook last season. The Vikings are bringing 24 players, 18 of which joined the club in the last 14 months, so this trip is a great opportunity for those players to continue to develop and build up their experience, heading into next season”. The Vikings and the Lions will also hold joint training and club development meetings and get a chance to enjoy some of Granada’s culture, famous throughout Spain.

The game kicks off at 3:30pm local time and will be streamed live at vaughnlive.tv/granadalions. For more information about the game, head over to the Viking’s Facebook page or email them at ulvikings@gmail.com

In accordance with Section 11 of the IAFA Constitution I hereby give notice that the Annual General Meeting of the Irish American Football Association will take place at 11am on Saturday 13^th December 2014 at CityWest Hotel, Saggart, Co. Dublin.

Elections:

Elections will take place for the following positions:

IAFA President – position currently held by Michael Smith.

IAFA Board Member – positions currently held by Alan Orr and Derek Ward.

Candidates wishing to put themselves forward for these positions should complete the attached Candidate for Election form and submit it to commissioner by Saturday 29^th November 2014.

Proposals for the Agenda:

Any proposals or resolutions for inclusion on the AGM Agenda should be submitted to

commissioner by Saturday 29^th November 2014.

The Agenda, list of candidates for election and supporting documentation will be circulated 1 week prior to the AGM.

Extracts from the IAFA Constitution are below for your information

2015 League Schedule:

I would be grateful if teams could check their ground etc. availability in advance of their upcoming audits and give the relevant information to the IAFA reps at their audit meeting. This will allow draft schedules to be drawn up in advance and launched at the AGM. I understand that the audit crew will be in contact with each team who wishes to play competitive kitted football in 2015 within the next couple of days to confirm times/dates.

Cillian Smith

Commissioner

11.       ANNUAL AND SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

(a)        The Commissioner shall give at least twenty eight (28) days notice in writing of  the AGM specifying the date, time and place of the Meeting. Notice shall be placed on the Associations website.

(b)        The notice shall be sent to the Officers, members of the Management Board, the designated official of each club, affiliated educational institution and affiliated organisation. It also shall be sent to the Chairs of Working Groups and any Directors appointed by the Board.

(c)        The President shall chair Annual and Special General Meetings.  In his/her absence, another Board member chosen by the Board shall chair the Meetings.

(d)        50 per cent plus one (+1) of the total eligible votes shall constitute a quorum.

(e)        Voting on all issues except elections shall be by show of hands, unless twenty five (25) percent of the votes present request a secret ballot. Elections shall be by secret ballot and, where more than two candidates, shall use a proportional representation to be defined in the By-Laws.

(f)         Every resolution at Annual and Special General Meetings shall be decided by a simple majority of votes of those present, entitled to vote and voting except for resolutions concerning amendments to the Constitution, when Sections 27 shall apply.

(g)        In the case of equality of votes, the resolution is deemed to be defeated.

(h)        All changes in the Constitution of the Association and all resolutions passed at an AGM or Special General Meeting shall come into force immediately unless the Meeting shall decide otherwise.

(i)         There shall be no postal or proxy votes.

12.       PROPOSALS AND ELECTION NOMINATIONS FOR ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

(a)        Any proposal or resolution for consideration, and voting thereon, at any AGM shall be submitted in full, in writing, to the Commissioner. It should arrive with him/her not later 2 weeks prior to the date of the AGM at which the proposal is to be considered and voted upon. Proposals or resolutions for consideration shall be circulated to those entitled to vote at least 1 week prior to the AGM.

(b)        Candidates wishing to run for election shall complete the “Candidate for Election Form” appended to the By-Laws and submit it to the Commissioner. It should arrive with him/her not later 2 weeks prior to the date of the AGM at which the election will take place. These forms shall be circulated to those entitled to vote at least 1 week prior to the AGM.

(c)        All candidates for election shall be members in good standing with a least 3 consecutive years affiliation to the IAFA.

13.       VOTING ENTITLEMENT AT ANNUAL AND SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

(a) The voting entitlement at Annual and Special General Meetings shall be:

1. I. Clubs/educational institutions with adult teams playing in the top division of the Associations adult kitted football league in the previous calendar year – 2 votes each.

1. II. Clubs/educational institutions with adult teams, who played in any other division of the Associations adult kitted football league in the previous calendar year – 1 vote each.

1. III. A representative of the coaches active in the current or most recently completed season (as defined in the by-laws) – 3 votes.

1. IV. A representative of the officials active in the current or most recently completed season (as defined in the by-laws) – 3 votes.

1. V. A representative of all players registered to play adult flag football in the current or most recently completed season (as defined in the by-laws) – 3 votes.

(b)        If any nominated delegate(s) cannot attend, they may be substituted, provided the name(s) of the substitute(s) are sent in writing to the Commissioners office not later than 4.00 p.m. on the evening prior to the day of the scheduled meeting

(c)        Elections will be conducted by the Scrutineers and shall be by secret ballot using the following procedure:

1. i. Those entitled to vote will be issued with a quantity of ballot papers equal to their voting entitlement.

1. ii. Voters should mark the ballot paper to indicate which candidate(s) they wish to put through to the run-off round of the election. The number of candidates they can mark should be equal to the number of position(s) needed to be filled in the particular vote.

1. iii. The number of candidates put through to the run-off round shall be equal to the number of position(s) needed to be filled plus one. Those with the highest number of votes shall go through to the run-off round. In the event of a tie for the final position(s) in the run-off round, all tied candidates shall go through.

1. iv. For the run-off round, all voters shall be issued with new ballot papers and should indicate which candidate(s) they wish to be elected. The number of candidates they can mark should be equal to the number of position(s) needed to be filled in the particular vote. Those candidate(s) with the highest number of votes shall be deemed elected. In the event of a tie for the final elected position(s), there shall be a second run-off vote between the tied candidates for the position(s).

FEDERATION OF IRISH SPORT CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO REINSTATE CURRENT SPORTS FUNDING BACK TO 2011 LEVELS BY 2016 

Federation budget submission also calls on government to extend donations tax relief to current spend 

The Federation of Irish Sport in their pre-budget submission on behalf of all Irish sport has made two requests of Government. The Federation announced details of their submission at a briefing in Trinity College Dublin earlier this morning Wednesday 8th October. At the briefing the they also announced that Dublin GAA star Bernard Brogan was to be the first President of the Federation.

In their submission the Federation called on the Government to return the current funding for sport as distributed through the Irish Sports Council to the Federation’s 100 plus members, back to 2011 levels by 2016. They also called on the government to extend the tax relief currently in place for donations to sporting bodies in connection to capital projects to items of current spend.

In calling on the government to reinstate current funding to 2011 levels the Federation acknowledged the commitment that government had given to sport in recent budgets and in particular the €40 million the government had given to sports capital projects in the last budget.

They noted that the 9% reversal of the cuts imposed on current funding since 2011 is slightly ahead of anticipated growth rates for the next two years (7.5%). The Federation however believe the €4.4 million increase over two years is however a modest, prudent and realistic increase given not just the 27% decrease in current funding for sport over the last 6 years but the role sport plays in the economic and social life of our country.

The Federation outlined that any increase in the current funding for sport could benefit all of Ireland’s people. The additional monies will allow sport continue to target the 12.6% of Ireland’s population that remain inactive a well as support the 2.5 million that do participate.  

The monies would also go to preparing not just the established athletes as they seek to qualify for Rio but ensure those already in development squads eyeing up 2020 & 2024 with the coaching, training and support they require to be the best they can be flying the flag for Ireland right around the world as they do it.

Speaking at the launch, the Federation’s CEO Sarah O’Connor said “Rio 2016 is now right around the corner. 2015 is qualification year in most sports for both the Olympic & Paralympic Games. In truth it is not just Rio on the horizon but Tokyo and even future games whose locations have yet to be determined. Developing sport both at grassroots and high performance levels is a continuous process and consistent investment is crucial”. 

“A reversal of a portion of the cuts imposed on current funding as a result of the recession is now vital to ensure that our existing athletes are adequately prepared as they launch into Olympic & Paralympic qualification but also that efforts to grow grassroots participation can continue. Whilst the Irish Sports Monitor 2013 published last week had a lot of very positive findings particularly, in relation to women and those over 65 however, there were also reductions in participation levels amongst certain sections of the population showing that participation in sport is not something that can ever be taken for granted.”.

The Federation has also asked Government to extend the tax relief currently in place for donations to sporting bodies in connection to capital projects to items of current spend. Irish Sport does want to help itself an in this regard, is looking to Government to assist in the development of a culture of private sector investment in sport. Irish Sport is the only contributor to the not for profit sector not to benefit from a tax relief on “current spend”.

The type of programmes that would benefit from this relief should it be introduced would include programmes that bring different sports to new places; that support our existing and developing athletes as well as programmes that can target hard to reach members of our communities; that can develop our coaches and look after our athletes.

This works for sport overseas. In the US, on average 25% of a university athletic programme is funded by private donations. The Australian Sports Foundation has raised AUS$230m since 1986 whilst BC Sport rose CAN$ 1.2m in 2013.

The Federation of Irish Sport believe that a developed culture of giving to sport has the potential to make a real and lasting positive impact on the development on sport in this country. It has been estimated that up to €100 million per year across all sports at all levels could be generated within 10 years.

——

NOTES:

Sport is a niche sector that makes a significant contribution to Irish Society. Sport is a passion but also an industry. In Ireland sport supports up to 40,000 jobs, contributes €2.4 billion to GDP and stimulates €1.8 billion of household spending. In the EU every €1 out of every €60 euro either earned or spent is sports related.

Sport has a key role to play in Ireland’s health & wellbeing. This is recognised by the Government’s Healthy Ireland framework. The truth is that an active population a much healthier one – 89% of healthy people report their weight and eating habits as healthy – and a much less expensive one. Physical inactivity costs our health system an estimated €1.3 billion each year.

Sport builds social cohesion. It unites our communities – sport is the biggest single driverof volunteerism in Ireland with 25.5% of Irish people volunteering for sport. Sport is also for everyone – 83% of children play their sport outside school, there has been a 3.7% increase in the number of women partaking in sport since 2011 and the numbers of those over 65 participating also up by 3.3% in the same period.