Established in 2007, the British Universities American Football League is the largest university competition for American football in Europe.
42 teams were founder members with players drawn from over 60 institutions competing for the inaugural BUAFL National Championship in 2007/2008, a title won by the Southampton Stags after an imperious performance in the Doncaster snow. Their victory against the Staffordshire Stallions meant that they had achieved a perfect record for the season.
After the National Championships had concluded Bucks New University hosted the BUAFL’s first MVP All Star Game. The finest players from the teams in the North were paired against the finest players from the teams in the South. A closely fought affair saw Coach Scott’s Northern team edge out the South.
During 2007/08 season a further 3 teams successfully completed their Associate year meaning that for the kick-off of the 2008/09 season there were 45 teams with their sights trained on reaching the Championship Game and emulating the Stags.
In the end, the silverware was swept up by the two teams who had kicked off the season, watched by the biggest crowd in regular season British University Sport, at Birmingham University‘s xpLosION event
It was Coach Athersmith’s Birmingham Lions who reigned supreme in the BUAFL. The most potent offense in BUAFL history, orchestrated by Quarterback Tristan Varney (pictured above), proved too hot to handle for all their opponents as they marched undefeated to the title, overcoming another undefeated team in the final at the South Leeds Stadium - the Newcastle Raiders.
Two weeks prior to the Championship Game and at the same venue the Bath Killer Bees, led by a standout performance by Matt Styles, overcame a resilient Sheffield Hallam Warriors in the first BUAFL National Challenge Trophy Game.
The season culminated where it had begun, at Birmingham University. Matt Dyke led his Southern team to victory against the North in what would be the last ever North / South MVP All Star game before the inset of the BUAFL Home Nations Championship.
Whereas in the League‘s first season there had been three new teams seeking the opportunity to compete in the following season‘s National Championship, the 2008/09 season saw in excess of 20 programmes being started. A number of these teams will start the 2009/10 Championships whilst the others will look to compete in the new competitions which the BUAFL will be launching during the season - the BUAFL 5-on-5 Development League and the BUAFL National Flag Football Championships.
Picture c/o Birmingham Lions
