GREAT BRITAIN WOMEN RETAIN EURO FLAG CROWN

Winning a championship is one of the hardest things for a team to do, with so many hurdles and challenges to overcome on the way to ultimate success. But having been successful once, the real challenge of proving those deeds were not the result of luck or a fluke begins. That can be the sign of a truly great team, and it’s a sign the Great Britain’s Women’s Flag Football team can proudly exhibit.

After taking home the European Flag Football Championship crown in Ireland in 2023, the ladies flying the flag for GB in 2025 — with Sky Sports presenter and former Buffalo Bills assistant coach Phoebe Schecter again in the side — were able to pull off a repeat performance on Saturday, beating Austria 34-33 in overtime to become two-time European Champions, securing a place in the 2026 World Championships in Germany in the process.

The two sides were locked at 27-27 at the end of regulation, after the Austrians took a 21-13 lead into half-time. In the extra period, however, GB quarterback Jess Allen tossed a touchdown pass to wide receiver Emily Kemp — her fourth scoring pass of the game and the third score for Kemp — to put the defending champions ahead and, although the Austrians hit back with a touchdown of their own, their attempted two-point conversion for the win was broken up in the endzone by Marta Matthews.

“That was such a crazy game,” said quarterback Allen after the final whistle. “We had a slow start, but our offence managed to pull it back and our defence got some really great stops. We’ve worked so hard for this, I’m very proud of the team.”

In addition to her winner’s medal, Kemp was also named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

The Mens side also returned from Paris with some medals, as they finished fourth in their competition, their best finish since claiming bronze back in 2017.

With the announcement of Flag Football’s inclusion at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, Great Britain’s ladies now have their sights set on one of the six qualification spots.

“This is the most exciting time in the history of flag football and, with the sport exploding around the world, I can only imagine what LA28 is going to be,” Pierre Trochet, president of the International Federation of American Football, enthused.

The British American Football Association (BAFA) has more than 150 tackle and flag football clubs delivering the sport across the country and, in September launched a new strategy with £500,000 funding from Sport England continuing to drive the development of American football in the UK.