AFI’s Europe Top 20: Swarco Raiders Take #2, Prague & Gdynia Make Leaps

AFI | Allgau Comets | 07/21/2015

We are into Week 8 of AFI’s Europe Top 20 where we present the weekly ranking of the Top 20 best American football teams in Europe in 2015. Let’s take a look at this week’s changes.

Many countries were either idle or have finished their seasons so the rankings do not move too much. Having said that, there has been some movement this week.

The biggest upset introduced a new team to the rankings as the Gdynia Seahawks entered at #16 after fashioning a stunning victory in the Polish championship game by beating the previously undefeated Wroclaw Panthers 28-21. The Seahawks had lost to Wroclaw twice during the regular season 35-6 and 35-7. They kept Poland’s top running back – Marcus Sims – off the scoreboard.

The Braunschweig New Yorker Lions are still at #1 spot on our list although they were idle. Swarco made a case to be number one but their loss earlier to the Lions still holds them behind them. The Kiel Baltic Hurricanes slide one spot to #3 and Austria’s Swarco Raiders moved up to the #2 spot with their dominating 38-0 win over the Vienna Vikings in the Austrian final. And although Sweden’s Carlstad Crusaders did not play they stay at #4. We will see what happens in the IFAF Europe Final Four this weekend. The Vienna Vikings fall to #9 after losing badly in the Austrian Bowl XXXI while France’s champion Saint Ouen l’Aumône Cougars who have finished their season, move up to #5.

Germany’s Schwäbisch Hall climbs up to #6 after trouncing Franken while Dresden moves to #7. Allgäu slides up to the #8. Thonon moves down to #10 and Sweden’s Royal Crowns are now #11. The Prague Black Panthers demolished the Pribram Bobcats in the Czech Bowl 52-13 boosting them up to #12. The London Warriors move to #13 followed by Germany’s Saarland Hurricanes at #14 and Italian champions the Milano Seamen at #15. New Polish champions the Gdynia Seahawks enter the list at #16 followed by Switzerland’s Calanda Broncos at #17 with London’s Blitz at #18. The Wroclaw Panther fall to #19 after their surprising loss in the Polish final and Serbian champion the Novi Sad Dukes hang on to the #20 spot.