The Dublin Rebels, which were the first Irish team to compete in an EFAF tournament, qualified for the showdown with the host team on Sunday by beating the Amsterdam Panthers of the Netherlands by a score of 9:0.
In the final, West-Vlaanderen took an early lead, but the current leader of the Irish American Football League from Dublin never surrendered. Even when facing a 0:15 deficit at the start of the last quarter, the Rebels stuck to their game plan and were rewarded with late points of their own. Not enough to turn the game to their favour with the Final score Dublin Rebels 13 West-Vlaanderen Tribes 15, but more than enough to leave their mark and an anticipation of authority in the newly opened history books of the Atlantic Cup.
For the Dublin Rebels, the leap into the „shark tank“ of the European Football League very much a definite future and this year, they took their first step.
Not only will this do good for the Dublin Rebels, but also the Irish American Football League as a whole and the Dublin Rebels will take their newly-gained European experience to their upcoming Shamrock Bowl Play Off.
For the Dublin Rebels, the first trip to continental Europe might have ended with a close defeat on the field of play, but the team should return to its national championship play with an enhanced spirit and will start to plan the preparations for the second Atlantic Cup -
The club along with its national federation has signalled extreme interest to host next year’s tournament, which would be the first official EFAF event on Irish soil.
The European Federation of American Football (EFAF) is the European governing body for American Football. It is the largest continental federation and is affiliated to the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) which is in turn supported by the NFL, the NFLPA and the NCAA. The IAFL (Irish American Football League) in Ireland is a full member of EFAF and IFAF.
The 2009 Atlantic Cup is a new EFAF club competitions for national champions of western and Eastern Europe respectively. This is the first ever EFAF sanctioned tournament of its kind for this level of American Football and Ireland has the unique opportunity to be a part of this.
Ireland will be represented by the Dublin Rebels. Belgium by the West-Vlaanderen Tribes. The Netherlands will be represented by the Amstelland Panthers and Luxembourg will be represented by the Dudelange Dragons. For latest details and links to each team, please click on the above Atlantic Cup logo.
Maurice Cosgrave of the IAFA presenting Andrew Flynn PR/Commercial Manager, Dublin Rebels with the IAFA grant in conjunction with the upcoming Atlantic Cup Tournament.
Belgium will host the first Atlantic Cup in Brussels this year and Ireland will host it in 2010.
Dublin Rebels Atlantic Cup Squad is Proudly Sponsored by:
