[tps_title]BIG6 2015[/tps_title]
Hard on the heels of the announcements by the German and Austrian American Football Federations that they will not be playing the IFAF World Championships in July this year, the BIG6 European Football League has announced the groupings for their 2015 tournament, which is strictly invitational.We previewed each team when the clubs were announced last month, but now we know who is playing who.
Inaugurated in 2014, the BIG6 is a joint initiative of some of the top American football clubs in Europe. The tournament aims to present a high-level competition in European American football culminating in July with the Eurobowl. The Eurobowl trophy has been Europe’s top prize for club American football, and it’s history dates back to 1986.
In last year’s final game, the Berlin Adler beat the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions in Berlin by a score of 20-17.
Next Page: Group A
[tps_title]Group A[/tps_title]
German Champion New Yorker Lions sure to be favored in Group A
Group A will feature a new entry to the Big6 competition, the Flash de la Courneuve from France, as well as the German Champion Braunschweig New Yorker Lions and the Austrian league runner’s up the Swarco Raiders from Innsbruck.
The BIG6 opening game will be played in France when Flash de la Courneuve will host the Swarco Raiders on the weekend of April 18/19. The French team is new to the competition in its new Big6 format but has played in three Eurobowl, most recently reaching the title game in 2009.
In the following game Braunschweig New York Lions will travel to Innsbruck to clash with the Swarco Raiders on May 2nd.
Two weeks later, on May 16th the Lions will host Flash de la Courneuve.
The winner of Group A advances to the final: Eurobowl XXIX.
Next Page: Group B
[tps_title]Group B[/tps_title]
The Austrian champs will try to return to a Eurobowl without imports for the first time ever
Group B will feature the Austrian champion Vienna Vikings, the reigning Eurobowl champion Berlin Adler and the runner’s up of the 2014 German Bowl the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns.
It will be a very interesting group with the Unicorns replacing the last year’s competitor the Dresden Monarchs, also of Germany. The Vienna Vikings have won the Eurobowl more often than any other team in Europe and are always a dangerous contender. Berlin is bringing Hauptstadtfootball to the table and they are back to defend their title.
Group B has not released it’s final schedule as of this time.
Next Page: Format & Future
[tps_title]BIG6 Tournament[/tps_title]
The new format of the BIG6 European Football League premiered last year. The competition committee states that the invitational format has provided fans and players with the most competitive and highest level of American football in Europe. The committee also claims that this new format has reduced and evened out the costs between the participating teams.
The idea of growing the field of the tournament was discussed for 2015, but the league’s management has decided to remain with 6 teams.
The committee will re-investigate growing the tournament when they feel more teams that are able to compete on this current level of sport and organization.
No specifics were released at the time of this statement as to what qualifies a club to participate in the Big6 tournament and neither have any figures been released related to the costs involved for each club.