IFAF Europe Releases Champions League Schedule
The IFAF Europe Champions League enters its third season and due to demand has expanded to 13 teams including defending champions, Sweden’s Carlstad Crusaders. The Crusaders rolled through the 2015 tournament averaging 50 points a game while giving up 18 points on average per game.
They scored an astounding 89 points in their championship final win over Vukovi SBB Belgrade from Serbia. Vukovi has also returned still smarting from losing the final for the second straight year (they lost to Finland’s Helsinki Roosters in 2014) and will be looking to turn their fortunes around in 2016.
There are nine new teams in the 2016 edition of Champions League: The Vejle Triangle Razorbacks (Denmark), Prague Lions (Czech Republic), Wroclaw Panthers (Poland)[North]; Istanbul Koc Rams (Turkey), St. Petersburg Griffins (Russia) [East]; Budapest Wolves (Hungary) [Central]; and Novi Sad GAT Dukes (Serbia), Vienna Danube Dragons (Austria), Lisbon Devils (Portugal) [South].
This is the first time teams from Austria, Russia, Poland, Hungary and Portugal have competed while both Turkey and Serbia have two teams each participating.
There are no teams from Finland, France, Great Britain and Spain for the first time. Also missing are teams from Germany, Norway, Holland, Ireland, Belgium and Switzerland.
It is interesting to note that as a result of the teams who have entered the North, East, South and West groupings are not true regional groups as in the previous two years. For example, Sweden’s Crusaders will face Istanbul’s Turkey Koç Rams in the East Group while Austria’s Danube Dragons will play the Lisbon Devils from Portugal in the South group. Nevertheless, IFAF Europe did strive to keep team travel to the shortest distances trying to avoid air travel wherever possible.
Group play kicks off the weekend of April 16/17 with three games. The final group play game of the tournament between the Milano Seamen and Budapest Wolves takes place May 28.
Conference North will be very interesting, as it is made up of first-time CL participants – the Triangle Razorbacks, Prague Lions and Wroclaw Panthers, while in Conference East – Istanbul Koc Rams and St.Petersburg Griffins will take on the current Champions League champion, the Carlstad Crusaders. Belgrade SBB Vukovi will face familiar foes the Milano Seamen and Budapest Wolves in Conference Central. Conference South welcomes the Novi Sad GAT Dukes, Vienna Danube Dragons and Lisbon Devils while the Istanbul Bogazici Sultans are playing in the tournament for the third straight year.
North
April 16/17 – Vejle Triangle Razorbacks vs Prague Lions
April 30 – Wroclaw Panthers vs Vejle Triangle Razorbacks
May 15 – Prague Lions vs Wroclaw Panthers
East
April 17 – Istanbul Koç Rams vs St. Petersburg Griffins
April 30 – Carlstad Crusaders vs Istanbul Koç Rams
May 14/15– St. Petersburg Griffins vs Carlstad Crusaders
Central
April 16/17– Belgrade SBB Vukovi vs Milan Seamen
May 7/8 – Budapest Wolves vs Belgrade SBB Vukovi
May 28 – Milan Seamen vs Budapest Wolves
South
April 23 – Novi Sad GAT Dukes vs Vienna Danube Dragons
April 23/24 – Lisbon Devils vs Istanbul Boğaziçi Sultans
May 7/8– Vienna Danube Dragons vs Lisbon Devils
May 14/15 – Istanbul Boğaziçi Sultans vs Novi Sad GAT Dukes
Source: IFAF Europe Media Department
