In this edition of UCD Clubs In Focus, Sports Editor Bill Schmitz speaks to Seán about the UCD American Football club.
Can you tell me a bit about UCD American Football and what the club is all about?
The club was founded in 2007, spending one year as a flag only club before becoming a fully-fledged contact team. The club previously relied on youthful energy and athletic ability but suffered greatly during the summer months when students went home.
Our club culture however, was always strong and has allowed us to attract several top notch coaches such as Darragh Farrell, Tom Telford, Steve Mack and Andy Dennehy! Since the COVID 19 pandemic however, the club has turned a corner and has now competed in the last 4 Shamrock Bowls (winning 2 and losing 2), with our players and coaches consistently forming the majority of the Irish Wolfhounds National Team.
What does the structure of the season look like for the team across the year?
As we have 3 teams we have 3 separate seasons. The Mixed flag season operates from September to November, this coincides with our rookie/new player intake. Our Female flag team season coincides with the Contact Team season, running roughly from March to July. There are of course practice games and blitz type events sprinkled in throughout the year too.
What does a typical training session or game week look like for players?
Our Flag teams practice on Sundays and Thursdays. Our contact team practices on Mondays and Wednesdays on the Thornfield Astro rugby field.
Practices in football, regardless of code, looks something like: warmup, independent drills, competition period (1v1’s) and full team scrimmage (game-like conditions).
For a game week the only difference would be a 'Scout Period' where we mimic the offense and defense of our opposition! Allowing players to see likely plays and how we want to beat them!
For students who might be interested but have never played American football before, how beginner-friendly is the club?
Very. We pride ourselves on our treatment of new players, obviously it would be ideal if someone was to join in the September to November period as we are fully in the mode of teaching beginners. But we are more than happy to onboard anyone throughout the year. Flag football is much easier to pick up and play with limited practice exposure, contact takes a bit longer as we must ensure player safety and teach all mechanics from scratch.
What has been one of the team’s highlights or most memorable moments so far this season?
We're still getting going this year but pre-season we had the pleasure of hosting NFL legend Marshawn Lynch as part of an Amazon Prime Video TV show. This was amazing as many of us grew up watching Marshawn play (and we have a large amount of Seahawks fans on the team).
A Broader Look
While still a smaller sport compared with many of Ireland’s traditional games, American football has grown steadily in recent years. The sport is overseen by American Football Ireland, with teams across the country competing in both contact and flag formats. The domestic season culminates in the Shamrock Bowl, the national championship game that decides the top team each year.
University clubs have played a key role in that growth, with many players first encountering the sport during their time in college. As interest continues to build, programmes like UCD’s are helping introduce new players to American football and strengthen its presence across Ireland.
A huge thank you to Sean and everyone at UCD American Football for taking part in the interview. Be sure to follow UCD American Football on Instagram: @ucdamericanfootball.