60-639: The Belfast Trojans are an American Football team formed in January 2006, and have competed in the IAFL since 2007 playing NCAA rules in full contact. The Belfast Trojans are among the most successful American Football teams in Ireland, having won the Shamrock Bowl five times. The team currently train and play their home matches at Belfast Harlequins Club located at Deramore Park. The Belfast Trojans are
120-471: A close game 22–14 to win Shamrock Bowl XXI and claim their first ever title. An AGM, held on 25 November 2007, decided the format for the 2008 season. It was decided to gradually phase out under-18 kitted players and start a junior (i.e. 16–18 age group) league. It was also decided to run a DV-8's league, where development teams and entrants from already established teams could field rookies in 8
180-660: A cost. The Trojans started with back to back games against two of the powerhouses of Irish American Football, the Dublin Rebels & the UL Vikings . Defeats in these two fixtures saw the Belfast side going 0–2 at the start of the season. However, by game day three something had begun to click and the Trojans swept away all teams before them as they battled to their first Northern Division Title. The division win set up
240-890: A full league season of football. The Dublin Rebels defeated the Carrickfergus Knights in Shamrock Bowl XV, which was played in Carrickfergus. All four teams participated in the reformation of the Irish American Football League (IAFL). A new league structure and administration was put in place and the IAFL helped form the Irish American Football Association (IAFA) – the new national governing body for
300-408: A hard, tough, smashmouth affair that the Trojans managed to edge in the first two-quarters before finally securing the 16–14 win with a field goal in the final two minutes. DV8's League For the first time in their history the Trojans had a squad so large that it became necessary to enter the IAFL's DV8's development league to ensure playing time for all their players. Typifying the resolve shown by
360-541: A semi-final playoff in Limerick where the Trojans could not find their feet against a dominating Vikings side who conquered the Trojans in a 52–8 victory. Playoffs Devastated by the semi-final loss the Trojans ranks withered and the 2009 season would prove to be a struggle. The IAFL was restructured into a single league after the dissolution of the Belfast Bulls and the remaining Belfast side suffered too. With
420-718: A semi-final. Each 3rd placed team traveled to the 2nd placed team in their division in the wildcard round. As with the 2011 season, each team played 8 regular season games. Most teams played all the teams in their division once and a selection of teams in the other division. This was a change from the previous year's format whereby teams played home and away against all divisional opponents. The schedule and divisional standings are found below. Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties North South Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Trinity College, Dublin Too Many Requests If you report this error to
480-585: A side matches. This would also help teams who were "just starting out" to get some playing time and reduce the pressure to find new players, which has plagued new IAFL teams in the past. It was decided to keep the league format the same. The same teams would compete in the same divisions, with the exception of the Dublin Rhinos, a spin-off from the Dublin Dragons, who would replace the Dragons in
540-586: A strong squad firmly with the intention of winning the competition. In the first game of the tournament the Belfast Trojans faced the 2014 Belgian Champions the Ghent Gators who boasted several international players amongst their ranks. A fair degree of rustiness was evident for both teams but eventually the Trojans found their feet and defeated the Gators 27–14. The second game of the day saw the hosts
600-407: Is in place to allow fledgling teams the opportunity to find their feet before graduating to a higher level of competition. The decision to allow seconds teams to enter was taken to allow the larger teams to develop rookie talent whilst simultaneously providing a higher calibre of competition for the newer teams. The Trojans eagerly accepted the invitation to participate. From the start it was clear that
660-582: Is the national governing body for American football on the island of Ireland . Founded in 1984, it is entirely run by volunteers and played by amateurs. The first Shamrock Bowl game was played in 1986 between the Craigavon Cowboys and the Dublin Celts. The Cowboys won the first title played in Dublin. The Celts then went on to be the number 1 team in Ireland for the next 10 years, winning
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#1732780148888720-511: The Belfast Trojans and Cork Admirals as the wildcard teams. Cork Admirals won the wildcard game and set up a play-off tie with the Dublin Rebels , strongly fancied to retain the Shamrock Bowl for the 5th consecutive time. Cork won a close-fought 8–6 victory and secured their first bowl appearance against UL Vikings , who beat the Belfast Bulls 44–2 to set the stage for the first ever all- Munster Shamrock Bowl. The UL Vikings won
780-749: The Cork Admirals beat the Belfast Bulls, the UL Vikings beat the Tallaght Outlaws and Dublin Rebels (then Shamrock Bowl Holders) beat the DCU Saints . The season continued throughout April and May, with the IAFL College Championship Game eventually been rescheduled on 3 June, with the UL Vikings beating the DCU Saints 50–2. During the course of the regular season, two non-league games were played against foreign opposition, with CMS College Stags beating
840-408: The Craigavon Cowboys . Playoffs Buoyed by the progression in 2011 the Trojans again worked hard at recruiting, numbers again swelled and the Trojans could for the first time boast the largest playing squad in Ireland. Improvements to the playbook and to the work ethic on the training pitch saw the Trojans approach the season with confidence. The regular season could not have gone more to plan with
900-494: The 2003–2004 off-season, Coach Phil DeMonte (ex-Oxford University Cavaliers) was appointed as the head coach of the Irish National Team and IAFL Allstars. Coach DeMonte was also tasked to help with the education of coaches throughout Ireland. 2004 promised to be the best season ever for Irish American football both on and off the field and did not fail to deliver. 6 teams played a full competitive league schedule and
960-539: The 2008 season, the Tallaght Outlaws decided to stop playing in the league, after playing two full seasons in the league. AFI oversee the administration of 3 codes: Within the Senior American Football code, there are 3 separate divisions: The Youth American Football section expands year on year, with a record 7 teams competing for the AFI Youth Plate in 2019. The Cork Admirals are
1020-527: The Belfast outfit in 2012 the Trojans DV8's went 4–0, blowing away the opposition and capping off a fine unbeaten season for the team in green. The Trojans added experience to their ranks in the off season after their first championship. In came Conor Leckey from the Carrickfergus Knights and Fu Faapito, Chris Bondi and Gary Carr from the Craigavon Cowboys all boasting experience of playing in
1080-856: The Dublin Rebels returned to Belgium to defend their Charleroi Trophy title. They were joined in Belgium by the Carrickfergus Knights. The Rebels won the Charleroi Trophy, defeating local team, the Charleroi Cougars in the Tournament final. The Knights came third, ahead of French team, Celtes de Mitry. The Knights finished first in the league to qualify for the Shamrock Bowl. The Rebels beat the Cork Admirals in
1140-535: The Dublin Rebels travelled to Belgium and won the Charleroi Trophy against the Charleroi Cougars and two French teams – Reims Champs and Forbach Taupes. The season finished on a high note with the visit of Team Canada, the Canadian U21 team. The Carrickfergus Knights played Team Canada in Dublin and performed well in a 34–6 defeat. 2003 turned out to be one of the best years ever for Irish American football. Three more teams – Cork, Belfast & Craigavon – joined
1200-603: The European diversion out of the way the Trojans were straight back to domestic business. An injury hit Trojans side weary from the exertions of the Atlantic Cup travelled to Gardai RFC to face the UL Vikings in the semi-final playoff, A re-run of the final in 2012. It was a day for the defences as the game remained scoreless into the fourth quarter but as the clock ran down the Trojans found their scoring touch and sealed
1260-553: The Groningen Giants defeat the Luxembourg Steelers to win the right to play the Trojans in the final. On day two of the tournament the Ghent Gators defeated the Luxembourg Steelers to claim 3rd place and then all eyes turned to the final. The Trojans took to the field wearing their new away uniforms, a throwback to the white shirts of their early days, the two teams seemed evenly balanced in the early stages of
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#17327801488881320-637: The IAFL Central. The league for 2008 looked like this: As of 2008, the Development League (DV8) consisted of the following teams: It was decided to continue running the DV-8's league, where development teams could learn and improve on the basics of football in a competitive league setting. This would also help teams who are just starting out to get some playing time and reduce the pressure to find new players, which has plagued new IAFL teams in
1380-468: The IAFL bringing the total up to seven. The Carrickfergus Knights, Cork Admirals, Dublin Dragons and Dublin Rebels played in Division 1. The Belfast Bulls, Craigavon Cowboys and UL Vikings played in Division 2 which was created to help development teams get competitive game experience. Membership in the IAFL increased significantly and the standard of play was higher than in previous years. In June 2003,
1440-462: The IAFL making the total number of competing teams, 8, the highest it had been in many years. The UL Vikings faced the Rebels in the Bowl game, which the Rebels won, making it their fourth consecutive Shamrock Bowl win. The 2007 season was contested by nine teams, following the addition of the Belfast Trojans and the Tallaght Outlaws to the league. The 2007 Shamrock Bowl was won by UL Vikings . After
1500-855: The IAFL1 Bowl. The Trojans faced the South Kildare Soldiers for the third time in 2015 and came out triumphant in a 48–0 blow out. GFLI Atlantic Cup 2015 Keen to avoid a repeat of the disappointment of withdrawal from the competition in 2014 the Trojans made participation in Europe a central part of their plans for 2015. Now under the banner of the GFLI the Atlantic Cup would take place in Groningen, Netherlands and once more feature teams from Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Ireland. The Trojans travelled to Groningen on Friday 25 September with
1560-519: The Rebels. The Trojans were back to back champions. The departure of Head Coach Drew Mikhael coupled with an inevitable sense of complacency within the Belfast Trojans saw them struggle to hit the high gears in the early stages of the season. Despite a resounding victory over the Craigavon Cowboys the signs were there that things were not running as smoothly. The 26-game unbeaten streak came to an abrupt end when Trinity College travelled to Belfast and inspired by their talismanic running back Rob McDowell put
1620-593: The Shamrock Bowl 5 times. The Celts were also the First Irish team to represent Ireland in the Euro Bowl – the then Champions league of European American Football. During 2000, plans were made to resurrect the IAFL. The only fixture to be played in Ireland that year was an Irish selection against a visiting high school team – Mount St. Josephs from Maryland USA. In 2001, the Carrickfergus Knights, Dublin Dragons, Dublin Rebels and University of Limerick Vikings played
1680-531: The Shamrock Bowl would be Trinity College Dublin the only team to have beaten them in the previous three years. The Trojans were classed as underdogs for the first time since 2012 due to Trinity's victory over the champions earlier in the season. Again it was a day for the Trojan defence to prove themselves to be the most dominant unit in Irish American Football as both offences failed to cope with
1740-626: The Tallaght Outlaws 67–0 and, in the Claddagh Classic on 2 June, the Team USA All-Stars beat the Carrickfergus Knights 26–0. Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Northern Division Central Division Southern Division The play-off positions were decided on the last day of the regular season, with the Belfast Bulls, Dublin Rebels and UL Vikings securing their respective Divisional titles and
1800-456: The Trojans 2nds were a class above their opposition even with restrictive rules on the use of veteran players. The predominantly rookie team set the same standards as the SBC team sweeping all before them in emphatic fashion led in the main by the dual threats of Matt Armstrong and Jonathan Siri. IAFL2 Bowl The IAFL2 Bowl was played on the second of August 2015 at Navan RFC in a double header with
1860-415: The Trojans once again faced the UL Vikings and typically of contests between these two teams it was a close affair with the Trojans coming out narrowly on top, notably Trojans top scorer WR David Richardson was ejected from the game and was duly suspended for the next two top flight games. A fourth Shamrock Bowl appearance was secured. Shamrock Bowl XXIX With Trinity College defeating the Dublin Rebels in
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1920-474: The Trojans squad with not only their largest roster to date but one with real quality throughout. The dark days of 2010 gave way to brighter times as the Trojans recovered finishing the season 6–2, narrowly missing out on winning the Northern Division away from bitter rivals the Carrickfergus Knights . The playoffs would prove a bridge too far though with the Trojans losing a tight wildcard playoff to
1980-452: The Trojans to the sword in an 18–0 defeat. The Trojans did not hang their heads for long however, the decision was made to install Mark McGrath, an inspirational leader within the Trojans locker room, as interim head coach. The Trojans bounced back and went on to win their remaining three league matches, the standout being the 50–0 demolition of the Carrickfergus Knights at the 4th of July Friday Night Lights game. Shamrock Bowl Playoffs For
2040-436: The Trojans topping the Northern Division for the first time since 2008 going unbeaten along the way. Shamrock Bowl Playoffs The first team played a home semi-final against the 2011 Champions the Dublin Rebels proved to be a cagey affair in the first half, but the third quarter saw the Trojans really come into their own and set up a high scoring finale where the Belfast side came out 66–38 winners. Shamrock Bowl XXVI For
2100-578: The United States. In addition the Trojans brought in Veteran defensive lineman Marty Devlin from the Craigavon Cowboys, Callum Leckey from the Carrickfergus Knights along with Mohamed Ramadan who joined with BAFL experience. This experienced group coupled with the enthusiasm of an impressive rookie class saw the Trojans begin their title defence with their strongest squad ever. The Trojans carried on into 2013 as they had done in 2012. Going unbeaten in
2160-653: The Untouchables in the first game of the Tournament, coming out on top in a physical encounter that saw two Trojans in need of Hospital treatment. In the end the Irish champs prevailed and with Trinity College narrowly seeing off the Brussels Tigers there would be an all Irish final on the last day of the tournament. In what proved to be another physical affair the Trojans defeated Trinity 26–0 to clinch their first ever European crown. Shamrock Bowl Playoffs With
2220-441: The ability of the club the Belfast Trojans chose not to compete in the 2014 Atlantic Cup. The Dublin Rebels travelled to Belgium to represent Ireland with three Belfast Trojans players Neil Graham, Neil Montgomery & Stuart Leckey joining their squad for the tournament. Despite defeat to the eventual winners Brussels Tigers on the first day the Rebels rallied to clinch third place with Belfast Trojan Neil Graham being named player of
2280-652: The current champions. The Flag Football section is split into 2 separate conferences: The Premier Division consists of eight senior teams. For the 2021 season, the Premier Division was planned to consist of: The league consists of two tiers of football, with the first tier being the Premier Division, also known as the SBC (Shamrock Bowl Conference). The second tier is the Division 1 competition, sometimes known as IAFL 1 . Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties League Table Format In 2007, to cope with
2340-399: The first time in the competition's history, two unbeaten teams contested the Shamrock Bowl. Both the Trojans and the UL Vikings had dominated their respective divisions and had won their semi-finals in high-scoring style. The showpiece game in Irish American Football would once again return to Tallaght Stadium. The bowl itself did not reflect the high-scoring natures of the two teams, but it was
2400-564: The game but eventually the hosts began to struggle with the power running of the Trojans offence and the tenacity of the defence. The Trojans pulled away to a healthy lead and despite a late Giants fightback the Irish champions won the game and with it their second European trophy in three years. The Belfast Trojans are sponsored by Dragon Claw Whiskey, MCS Group, The Pizza Co, RunDMG, Amarc Catering & Events, The Botanic Inn, MJ Kane Accountancy, and Strategic Power Projects. Irish American Football League American Football Ireland (AFI)
2460-491: The growing number of teams, a divisional format was introduced to replace the old league format. In it, the existing teams were divided into three divisions, Northern, Central and Southern, three teams in each. The idea of the divisional format is that any new teams, such as the up-coming development teams, would easily fit into the divisional format without increasing the length of the season, which runs from February/March to Early August. The top team from each division all go into
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2520-461: The intense rain that forced a cessation of the game for thirty minutes during the first half. In keeping with the defensive battle that was being waged it was Trojan linebacker Connor Whitla who scored the only touchdown of the game picking off Dan Finnamore and running it in from 20 yards. The Trojans had completed the "Threepeat" and could now take their place at the top table of Irish American Football. EFAF Atlantic Cup 2014 Due to concerns about
2580-528: The league once more. Indeed, the only opponent that the Trojans couldn't match on the way to their second consecutive Northern Division win was the Irish weather that saw all matches in March postponed to later in the year. EFAF Atlantic Cup 2013 As Irish Champions the Belfast Trojans were entered into the European Federation of American Football's Atlantic Cup an annual competition contested by
2640-403: The only Irish team to have a dedicated American Football field at their facility. Formed in 2006 by players disillusioned with the now defunct Belfast Bulls , the Trojans joined the IAFL in 2007 Playing their games at Malone RFC the fledgling Trojans ended their rookie year in the IAFL with a 3–3–2 record. The Trojans second year would prove to be one of great success but success that came at
2700-447: The organisation confidence for future trips to Europe. Domestically the Trojans continued their dominance. Eight league fixtures yielded eight wins and a fourth consecutive SBC Northern Division crown. Shamrock Bowl Playoffs For the first time SBC teams were allowed to apply to host the semi-final double header and the Trojans were granted the right to host the event. On a rain sodden day in Belfast, watched by hundreds of spectators,
2760-412: The other playoff Shamrock Bowl XXIX would be a repeat of the previous years bowl. Trinity were a constant threat but the Trojans would rally and go on to win the game 28–14. The Trojans became only the second team to win four consecutive Shamrock Bowls in the modern era. IAFL2 For the first time, IAFA allowed SBC teams to enter a second team into their IAFL2 development division. IAFL2 is a league that
2820-422: The past. The IAFL format was changed to a single division rather than the previous North, South and Central divisions in which each team would play eight matches, seeded to make the league more competitive. the top four teams would go to the playoffs in which the number 1 seeded team would face the number 4 seeded team, and the number 2 seeded team would face the number 2 seeded team. both winners would then play in
2880-508: The play-offs and the two second placed teams, with the highest numbers of points, playing a wildcard game for the 4th spot. The winners of the playoffs battle it out for the Shamrock Bowl . The 2007 IAFL season, complete with new divisional format was due to begin on 4 March with the College Championship game between DCU Saints and UL Vikings , but the game was delayed due to rain, so the season proper began on 25 March when
2940-517: The return of the Ireland team. The team played two fixtures including the inaugural Celtic Classic against John Carroll University from Ohio , USA. In 2005 the same six teams competed for the Shamrock Bowl. Again the Rebels ran out victorious with a tough fought win against the Belfast Bulls in the big game. The 2006 season saw the addition of new teams the DCU Saints and Dublin Marshals to
3000-497: The second consecutive year the Trojans would travel to Gardai RFC in Dublin to face the UL Vikings. In a typically dogged affair the Trojans struggled to establish their offensive play and were held in the game by the defence. Eventually the Trojans offence rallied and the Trojans knocked the Vikings out at the playoff stage once again to reach their third Shamrock Bowl in three years. Shamrock Bowl XXVIII The Trojans opposition in
3060-576: The semi-final and then defeated the Knights 24–12 in a spectacular Shamrock Bowl XVII, played at Suttonians RFC in Dublin. The game attracted a large crowd and some media attention – highlights were broadcast on TV3 in Ireland and Sky Sports throughout Europe. The Belfast Bulls won the Division 2 title. The season finished with the first ever IAFL Allstar game in which the North defeated the South 7–0. During
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#17327801488883120-570: The shamrock bowl. the league looks like this: The Development League (DV8) consists of the following teams. The 2010 IAFL season returned to the divisional format. There were an unprecedented number of teams competing the league, with a total of 11 teams taking part in the senior IAFL and 3 teams plus a number of rookie teams provided by some of the larger senior teams in the DV-8's. The league format looked like this: Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Northern Division Central Division Southern Division DV8's The 2012 IAFL season
3180-426: The smaller European federations, Ireland, Holland, Belgium & Luxembourg. The two-day tournament at Tallaght stadium was hosted as part of The Gathering event. With Luxembourg unable to send a representative Trinity College were added to the tournament that saw Belgian champions The Brussels Tigers and Dutch representatives Amersfoort Untouchables travel to Dublin for the weekend of 29–30 June. The Trojans would play
3240-468: The sport. During 2002, the sport found a new lease on life in Ireland. Again, four teams contested the league with the Carrickfergus Knights defeating the UL Vikings in Shamrock Bowl XVI. The year saw some significant developments. Firstly, three development teams applied to join the league for 2003. Secondly, an Irish team won an International club competition for the first time ever. In June,
3300-438: The squad decimated and morale low the Trojans would slump to a 2–6 losing season, their worst since their formation. The Trojans fourth season saw the dark times continue. Again the squad was depleted and veteran players were ravaged by injury. The Trojans limped through 2009 ending with a 3–5 record, making it two successive losing seasons. The future looked uncertain for the Belfast side. A proactive recruitment drive bolstered
3360-513: The standard of play was higher than at any time in the previous 10 years. IAFL membership reached an all-time high of more than 300 registered players. All teams had bigger rosters and most of the rookies were in the 17–21 age group. The Dublin Rebels defeated the Carrickfergus Knights 24–22 in Shamrock Bowl XVIII. The game, which attracted a record attendance for an IAFL game, is regarded as the best ever Shamrock Bowl. 2004 also saw
3420-548: The tournament. Delighted with the turn around in fortunes since the league defeat in 2014 the Trojans confirmed Mark McGrath as the permanent head coach. Within the Trojan camp the focus was placed on increasing competition both on the pitch and on the training field, with that in mind the Trojans secured a high-profile friendly match against the East Kilbride Pirates , one of the elite teams in BAFA. The Trojans made
3480-487: The trip to Glasgow on 11 April and held the Pirates close until the final minutes, narrowly missing the chance to level the game before the Pirates would go on to score a crucial touchdown after the two-minute warning to defeat the Trojans 24–14. All in all it was a successful exercise for the Trojans, they had proven that they could compete at the top levels of BAFA and having completed their first game outside Ireland it gave
3540-399: The win that would send them to their second Shamrock Bowl. Shamrock Bowl XXVII The Trojans contested Shamrock Bowl XXVII against the Dublin Rebels the seven times winners of the trophy and most decorated team in Irish American Football history. Playing once more at Tallaght Stadium in searing summer heat the Trojans swept the Rebels aside, winning convincingly 48–18 despite a late rally by
3600-612: Was contested by a record 11 teams. The Tullamore Phoenix stepped up from DV8s level to join the ten sides who contested the 2011 season. The regular was due to start in late February, which was earlier than in previous years. It was due to conclude on 10 June. The playoffs and Shamrock Bowl took place from mid June to mid July. The big change in 2012 was that the structure was changed from 3 regional divisions to 2 regional divisions – IAFL North and IAFL South. These divisions had 5 and 6 teams respectively as opposed to either 3 or 4 under last years format. The top team in each division hosted
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