NFL FLAG CHAMPIONSHIPS TO FOLLOW NFL AT SPURS

The NFL’s Flag Championship Europe competition will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium less than 24 hours after players from the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns have the field, with a one-day tournament featuring half a dozen U15 all-girls teams from across the continent.

Ireland joins the 2024 participants Great Britain, Germany, France, Austria and reigning champions Spain in an expanded format of last year’s competition, with each team representing an NFL club with Global Markets Programme rights in their respective countries — which has resulted in the New York Jets gaining a third of the entry via the teams from Great Britain and Ireland.

“We are so pleased to be able to bring these talented young female athletes together from across Europe to showcase their skills in London”, said NFL vice-president for flag football, Stephanie Kwok. “It’s an incredibly exciting time for flag football globally, with the number of women and girls discovering and connecting with the sport at all levels continuing to grow at a strong pace. All the teams travelling to London has achieved great success in their home countries, and we wish them the best of luck when they take to the field.”

As part of their involvement, the six teams will be treated to a special gameday experience at the first of the 2025 NFL London Games match-ups, between the Browns and Vikings on Sunday, before competing in front of global flag ambassadors from across Europe the following day. Phoebe Schecter (Great Britain), Mona Stevens (Germany) and Elisa De Santis (France) are all scheduled to attend, along with former Kansas City Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt.

With flag football on the roster for the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028, the competition could also be a stepping stone for future international athletes on the biggest stage the sport can attain.

Participating Teams

Great Britain Ealing Fields New York Jets

Spain Josep Carner Chicago Bears

France Team France New Orleans Saints

Germany Erasmus-Grasser-Gymnaium Kansas City Chiefs

Austria BEG in der AU & MS Hopfgarten New England Patriots

Ireland Larkin Community College New York Jets