International Federation of American Football Europe Eurobowl 1986-Present

International Federation of American Football Europe Logo [Ref: 3]

Eurobowl Finals 1986-Present

YearBowlWinnersRunners-Up
EFL Eurobowl
1986ITAFT Vantaa (Fin)16Bologna Doves (Ita)2
1988IIHelsinki Roosters (Fin)35Amsterdam Crusaders (Ned)14
1989IIILegnano Frogs (Ita)27Amsterdam Crusaders (Ned)23
1990IVManchester Spartans (GB)34Legnano Frogs (Ita)22
1991VAmsterdam Crusaders (Ned)21Berlin Adler (Ger) 20
1992VIAmsterdam Crusaders (Ned)42Giaguari Torino (Ita)24
1993VIILondon Olympians (GB)34Amsterdam Crusaders (Ned)22
EFAF Eurobowl
1994VIIILondon Olympians (GB)26Bergamo Lions (Ita)23
1995IXDuesseldorf Panther (Ger)21London Olympians (GB)14
1996XHamburg Blue Devils (Ger)21Aix-en-Provence Argonautes (Fra)14
1997XIHamburg Blue Devils (Ger)35Bologna Phoenix (Ita)14
1998XIIHamburg Blue Devils (Ger)38Paris Flash (Fra)19
1999XIIIBraunschweig Lions (Ger)27Hamburg Blue Devils (Ger)23
2000XIVBergamo Lions (Ita)42Hamburg Blue Devils (Ger)20
2001XVBergamo Lions (Ita)28Chrysler Vienna Vikings (Aut)11
2002XVIBergamo Lions (Ita)27Braunschweig Lions (Ger)20
2003XVIIBraunschweig Lions (Ger)21Chrysler Vienna Vikings (Aut)14
2004XVIIIChrysler Vienna Vikings (Aut)53Bergamo Lions (Ita)20
2005XIXChrysler Vienna Vikings (Aut)29Bergamo Lions (Ita)6
2006XXDodge Vienna Vikings (Aut)41La Courneuve Flash (Fra)9
2007XXIDodge Vienna Vikings (Aut)70Marburg Mercenaries (Ger)19
2008XXIISwarco Raiders Tirol (Aut)28Raiffeisen Vikings Vienna (Aut)24
2009XXIIITirol Raiders (Aut)30La Courneuve Flash (Fra)19
2010XXIVBerlin Adler (Ger)34Vienna Vikings (Aut)31
2011XXVTirol Raiders (Aut)27Berlin Adler (Ger)12
2012XXVICalanda Broncos (Swi)27Vienna Vikings (Aut)14
2013XXVIIVienna Vikings (Aut)37Tirol Raiders (Aut)14
2014XXVIIIBerlin Adler (Ger)20Braunschweig New Yorker Lions (Ger)17
IFAFE Big 6 Eurobowl
2015XXIXBraunschweig New Yorker Lions (Ger)24Schwabish-Hall Unicorns (Ger)14
2016XXXBraunschweig New Yorker Lions (Ger)35Swarco Raiders Tirol (Aut)21
2017XXXIBraunschweig New Yorker Lions (Ger)55Frankfurt Samsung Universe (Ger)14
2018XXXIIBraunschweig New Yorker Lions (Ger)20Frankfurt Samsung Universe (Ger)19
2019XXXIIPotsdam Royals (Ger)62Amsterdam Crusaders (Ned)12
EFAF / EFL Eurobowl Finals 1986-2014 [Ref: 1]
Eurobowl 1986 Logo [Ref: 13]

Report

The European Federation of American Football / European Football League Eurobowl was the Champions League of American Football in Europe from 1986 to 2014. The Winners of each of the European National Leagues got to compete in the tournament, which was run by the European Football League from 1986 to 1994, and then after the expulsion of Great Britain in 1995, by the European Federation of American Football. It was superseded in 2015 by the IFAF Europe Big 6 European Football League.

Finnish teams were the earliest winners of the Eurobowl, with TAFT Vantaa and Helsinki Roosters winning in 1986 and 1988. Italian team Legnano Frogs, from Milan won in 1989, and in 1990, Britain’s Manchester Spartans won. Amsterdam Crusaders brought the title to the Netherlands in 1991 and 1992, and the following two years they were brought back to Britain by the London Olympians. A run of five German, victories in a row followed: Duesseldorf Panther (1995), Hamburg Blue Devils (1996-1998) and Braunschweig Lions (1999).

Bergamo Lions won the Eurobowl three years in succession from 2000 to 2002, and the followed a German-Austrian dominance, with Braunschweig Lions winning in 2003, followed by six Austrian victories in a row: Vienna Vikings (2004-2007) and Tirol Raiders from Innsbruck (2008-2009). Berlin Adler won in 2010, Tirol Raiders again in 2011, Calanda Broncos from the tiny Rhaetian-speaking Swiss canton of Graubunden / Grissons in 2012, and another Vienna Vikings win in 2014.

Berlin Adler won the last EFAF Eurobowl for Germany in 2014, after which the top competition for European American Football clubs became the IFAF Europe Big 6 European Football League. The Eurobowl was won four years in succession (2015-2018) by the Braunshweig New Yorker Lions during the IFAFE Big 6 era, before Potsdam Royals, another German team convincingly won it in 2019.

European Federation of American Football Logo [Ref: 1]

Irish teams competed from 1988 to 1992 (Dublin Celts and Craigavon Cowboys), before the American Football association of Ireland resigned its seat in the EFL due to money concerns, along with a host of other European countries [Ref: 12]. It reapplied to the new EFAF in 1994 and after protracted struggles over the running of the game in Ireland was eventually readmitted in the early 2000s, under the new administration of the Irish American Football Association.

Dublin Celts v Birmingham Bulls – Eurobowl Quarter-Final [Ref: 14]

References

Images

[1] American Football International (2013) EFAF Logo [Internet] Available from: http://www.americanfootballinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/EFAF_logo.gif [Accessed 30 August 2017]

Websites

[2] Eurobowl (2015) Eurobowl History [Internet] Available from: http://www.eurobowl.info/index.php?Inhalt=history [Accessed 15 April 2020]

Images

[3] American Football International (2014) IFAF Europe Logo [Internet] Available from: http://www.americanfootballinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/IFAF.Europe.Logo_.2.png [Accessed 30 August 2017]

Websites

[4] Eurobowl (2015) BIG6 EFL Standings 2015 [Internet] Available from: http://www.eurobowl.info/index.php?Inhalt=tabellen&Liga=BIG6&Archiv=2015 [Accessed 15 April 2020]

[5] Eurobowl (2015) BIG6 EFL Schedule / Results 2015 [Internet] Available from: http://www.eurobowl.info/index.php?Inhalt=spielplan&Liga=BIG6&Archiv=2015 [Accessed 15 April 2020]

[6] Eurobowl (2016) BIG6 EFL Schedule / Results 2016 [Internet] Available from: http://www.eurobowl.info/index.php?Inhalt=spielplan&Liga=BIG6&Archiv=2016 [Accessed 15 April 2020]

[7] Eurobowl (2017) BIG6 EFL Standings 2017 [Internet] Available from: http://www.eurobowl.info/index.php?Inhalt=tabellen&Liga=BIG6&Archiv=2017 [Accessed 15 April 2020]

[8] Eurobowl (2017) BIG6 EFL Schedule / Results 2017 [Internet] Available from: http://www.eurobowl.info/index.php?Inhalt=spielplan&Liga=BIG6&Archiv=2017 [Accessed 15 April 2020]

[9] Eurobowl (2018) BIG6 EFL Schedule / Results 2018 [Internet] Available from: http://www.eurobowl.info/index.php?Inhalt=spielplan&Liga=BIG6&Archiv=2018 [Accessed 15 April 2020]

[10] American Football International (2019) Livestream: Eurobowl XXXIII – Potsdam Royals vs Amsterdam Crusaders, sat June 8, 6p CEDT (12p EDT) [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/livestream-eurobowl-xxxi-potsdam-royals-vs-amsterdam-crusaders-sat-june-8-6p-cedt-12p-edt/ [Accessed 21 June 2020]

[11] sport.de (2019) EFL Eurobowl [Internet] Available from: https://www.sport.de/american-football/efaf-efl/ma8881791/potsdam-royals_amsterdam-crusaders/news/ [Accessed 21 June 2020]

Newspapers

[12] Anon. (1994) “Irish Dream” First Down. July 16, 1994. pg. 17.

Images

[13] Wikipedia (2020) EuroBowl 86 Logo {Internet] Available from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/de/thumb/2/2c/EuroBowl86.svg/1200px-EuroBowl86.svg.png [Accessed 5 April 2020]

[14] Britball Now | Facebook (2016) Photo February 26, 2016: ” Birmingham Bulls defense swarm over Dublin Celts QB John Donnelly in this 1989 Eurobowl qualifier “[Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/131555973564179/photos/a.616537095066062/946026535450448/?type=3&theater [Accessed 11 November 2019]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Cillian Smith, Michael Smith, Ralph Schmeer and Michael Brophy of the Irish American Football Association and Irish American Football Officials Association and Sean Douglas, Dublin Rebels.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 21 June 2020

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.

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