South America: American football thriving in the Southern Cone; Peru, Chile to meet in historic matchup

The end of 2017 will see a bevy of international football activity in South America, much of it coming from Chile, and the Chilean American Football Federation, Fedfach (Federación Deportiva Nacional de Football Americano). The initiatives are part of the ambitious “Chile Rising,’’ program, created by Fedfach to strengthen and develop La Roja, the Chilean National Team, in all categories of American football, from flag to tackle football.

Austral Bowl to feature Mexican U19, Chilean women’s flag national teams

The action begins this month (October 27-29), with approximately 200 athletes descending on the nation’s capital, Santiago, for the much anticipated Austral Bowl, an international women’s flag football event, co-opted between Fedfach and Santiago’s Raiders Flag Football program. The Austral Bowl will feature five teams from Chile and Brazil, but the event is headlined by the U20 Mexcian National Team, and the Chilean National Team, that will debut Head Coach, Alejandro Ramirez, and his all-new coaching staff.

Pacific Bowl pits Peru and Chile in historic matchup

A little less than a month later, on November 25, Chile will once again be home to an international American football contest. This time, 1,337 kilometers (831 miles) north of Santiago, to Antofagasta, where, in the forbidding climate of the Atacama desert will play host to La Roja, as they square off against the squad from Peru, in the Pacific Bowl.

This will be the first ever game for Peru against another country.

This highly anticipated contest between the best of Peru’s Inka Football League and La Roja, will take place at the famed Las Almejas. La Roja will be led by legendary Coach, Carlos Zuniga, who guided the Antofagasta Gladiadores to two Chilean titles.

Fedfach and the Inka League have secured a two year, home-and-home agreement, meaning that the 2018 version of the Pacific Bowl will take place in Peru.