Road To The 2016 Tulip Bowl As Dutch League Underway
The Dutch American football association, American Football Bond Nederland (AFBN), has kicked off its 2016 season.
The Amsterdam Crusaders have already begun the defense of their 2015 Tulip Bowl American football title, whipping the 010 Trojans 44-0 two weeks ago.
With the Dutch season has already underway, let’s take a look at the eight team league. The eight-team format introduced in 2015 was successful and has been retained for this year with a slight realignment. To check out the full schedule and standings try out the German link – Football-Aktuell.de.
2015 Tulip Bowl
The Amsterdam Crusaders, Arnhem Falcons , Lightning Leiden and Rotterdam Trojans comprise Group A while the Alphen Eagles, Amsterdam Panthers, Hilversum Hurricanes and Groningen Giants (newcomers) play in Group B.
Highlights of the 2015 Tulip Bowl
Alphen Eagles
The Alphen Eagles could not defend their title in 2015, falling to the Amsterdam Crusaders in the Tulip Bowl. They enjoyed a 9-1 regular season and look to return to the championship game in 2016. The Eagles open their 2016 campaign against the Hilversum Hurricanes who they beat twice last year.
Amsterdam Crusaders
Head coach Winston Ronde, also the Dutch national team coach, will look to keep the first championship trophy the club had won in five years. The Crusaders returned to their usual form in 2015 and have already kicked off their season in dominant fashion defeating the Rotterdam Trojans 44-0.
Amsterdam Panthers
The Panthers are aiming to improve on their 3-7 season in 2015. They struggled early last year but seemed to find their form. However, a final-game shellacking by the Crusaders finished the year on a low note. The Panthers do not open their 2016 season until March 20 with the elongated schedule.
Arnhem Falcons
The Falcons had an excellent season in 2015, finishing with a 7-3 record and pushing the Amsterdam Crusaders in their semi-final matchup. They will definitely be in the mix in 2016. They opened their season with a thriller though, edging the Leiden Lightning 6-3.
