Irish Football

Vikings · 21-10-2014 5:35pm #1

Now's the time to find a team if you are interested in playing american football.

You can get some more information on the IAFL website: http://www.americanfootball.ie/

Or for a more visual representation, check out here (seems up to date to me): http://dblcoverage.com/europe/ireland/iafa-team-locations/

More teams are springing up in new corners of the country, Cork are back in the fold, Galway have a team, now Donegal/Derry are getting started.

The Ireland team is making a comeback this year.

If you've ever wanted to play, now is the time. Most teams are starting back, holding rookie training days etc.

Get involved. Clubs love new people. If you have no interest in playing there are other ways you can get involved. Contact your local team and go from there.

(I know there is a sticky above, any problems with this and it can be moved up there but for visibility I thought a new thread wouldn't do any harm!)

Realt Dearg Sec · 21-10-2014 6:04pm

What time of year do ye play? I've been meaning to go to a game at some point. Dunno if i'd give it a lash, too old at this point and it probably clashes with the hurling season, which is non negotiable for me, not to mention I wouldn't be the biggest lad ever. Be curious to have a look though.

Vikings · 21-10-2014 7:13pm

Season generally runs March-July or thereabouts.

It is then up to individual teams how early or late they start their preseason. Most will start around October or November and have a few sessions before Christmas.

Guffy · 21-10-2014 7:43pm

I wonder would it be worth putting up a sort of directory for clubs on boards and sticky it? I mean a list of boards user names as opposed to phone numbers.

baby and crumble · 26-10-2014 2:33pm

I know it'll never happen here (it's happening in the States) but man I wish there was a women's full contact team. I'd love to play!

Vikings · 26-10-2014 7:29pm

They have it in the UK & Germany also.

There is a new Flag league just established here, officially through the IAFA as of this season, which allows female players.

If that takes off it could be as little as 4-5 years before there is some sort of female variety of contact football.

TO. · 26-10-2014 9:04pm

baby and crumble wrote: »

I know it'll never happen here (it's happening in the States) but man I wish there was a women's full contact team. I'd love to play!

As Vikings said there is a flag league right now. You should setup an all female flag team with potential to get contact football for women in Ireland. While at flag tourneys or games talk to other female players as there is a fair few women playing flag right now. You could be the pioneer for Womens football in Ireland.

nerd69 · 27-10-2014 1:13am

Iv had multiple women ask me about a women's league once iv mentioned I played it. I think there's big potential there for a women's league

Guffy · 27-10-2014 1:21am

We were thinking of trying to go the all women route for the flag league. Just don't know if we'll get the numbers

BizzyC · 27-10-2014 10:32am

Team Ireland getting setup again?

Of course it'd have to happen as soon as I'd retired and moved into coaching.

nasty_crash · 28-10-2014 5:17pm

Team ireland doing there first training in the new year - john judge is the head coach! its exciting for players to play for their country! Fair cry for me to get on the team but its very exciting for players

nerd69 · 28-10-2014 10:05pm

i know they've spent the last week or so calling players who made it, any idea when they will announce the team?

BizzyC · 29-10-2014 8:54am

Already announced.
http://www.americanfootball.ie/players-invited-to-ireland-training/

I think it's a bit cheeky of them to say "players from the UK" when there's one lad there who's just joined a small uni team.

Having retired after the last Britbowl in September, I wouldn't be able to play myself, but there's definitely some lads playing in the British premier league who'd be eligible and no effort being made to include them.

Guffy · 29-10-2014 9:00am

BizzyC wrote: »

Already announced.
http://www.americanfootball.ie/players-invited-to-ireland-training/

I think it's a bit cheeky of them to say "players from the UK" when there's one lad there who's just joined a small uni team.

Having retired after the last Britbowl in September, I wouldn't be able to play myself, but there's definitely some lads playing in the British premier league who'd be eligible and no effort being made to include them.

Ah northern ireland?

BizzyC · 29-10-2014 9:09am

Last time this all started an Irish passport was a requirement, since UK passport holders actually fall under the GB Lions in terms of national teams.

Still, without getting pedantic over the classification of NI clubs as UK, it's a shame to see that no one from the British senior leagues was invited.

Lothaar v2 · 29-10-2014 12:36pm

In fairness, the coaches (both of whom have remained unattached to clubs for the past couple of years) travelled to loads of IAFL games during 2014 to scout players from all 19 teams... *before* the IAFA voted to activate a national team. That's a lot of time and effort. Within a couple of weeks, this panel was announced. There's no way they could have selected players from the British league.

There's never going to be a perfect scenario when we're all amateurs and just trying to make it happen. But, IMO, this is realistically the best scenario we could've hoped for.

BizzyC · 29-10-2014 1:20pm

Hey, any scenario that gets Team Ireland back up and running is a good one.
It's very early days anyway.
Hopefully in the future the team will be in a more stable and the setup will be able to include players overseas who want to get involved.

baby and crumble · 29-10-2014 1:23pm

Good to know about the flag football, guys, I must look into it. Bit embarassed I don't know much about it!

Vikings · 29-10-2014 8:55pm

BizzyC wrote: »

I think it's a bit cheeky of them to say "players from the UK" when there's one lad there who's just joined a small uni team.

Is there a list of Irish players or coaches who are playing in the UK readily available anywhere? Let's be realistic for a moment, if Paddy Murphy is playing for the Munich Cowboys or the Helsinki Wolverines, how are the organisers of the national team meant to know?

The 2 players from teams outside Ireland who were selected previously played for IAFL teams.

Hell there's bound to be a handful of Irish born, eligible players, playing NCAA football in the states that we just don't know about.

BizzyC · 30-10-2014 8:39am

Vikings wrote: »

Is there a list of Irish players or coaches who are playing in the UK readily available anywhere? Let's be realistic for a moment, if Paddy Murphy is playing for the Munich Cowboys or the Helsinki Wolverines, how are the organisers of the national team meant to know?

The 2 players from teams outside Ireland who were selected previously played for IAFL teams.

Hell there's bound to be a handful of Irish born, eligible players, playing NCAA football in the states that we just don't know about.

For a start, with a notice on a website with good visibility in the UK leagues, such as doublecoverage, you could get these players/coaches to identify themselves.
It's still not ideal, but it's a start.

Hopefully the renewed effort will remain stable and we'll see Ireland competing more regularly on an international level.
If it gets to that stage, more guys will come forward who are willing to travel for the opportunity to play.

Irish Football

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