Ealing Fields High School victorious in international flag football match

Ealing Fields High School represented the United Kingdom in the first European international girls flag football game against Germany.

Nine schoolgirls from years seven to nine were victorious on the NFL field at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

A day these students will never forget. On Monday, our girls were crowned the European NFL flag football champs! They have worked so hard! They have made us all so pround. @NFLFLAG @NFLUK #playingtothegoldstandard pic.twitter.com/8rPyIB7Cpw

— EalingFieldsPE (@EalingFieldsPE) October 10, 2023

Ealing Fields were winners of the inaugural New York Jets and Chicago Bears NFL Girls Flag League that launched in west London in March.

For winning the league, they got the opportunity to represent the UK against a team from Germany, Stadtteilschule am Heidberg, winning 12-6.

Head of PE at Ealing Fields, Martyn Tootell, said: “We had an amazing experience at Tottenham. The girls worked very hard for their victory and remained humble too.”

The New York Jets and Chicago Bears NFL Girls Flag League Championship was held in May and featured 120 girls aged 12-14 from 12 participating teams.

History was made at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium yesterday, as the first ever European International Girls Flag game took place! 😍

Ealing Fields school, who won our inaugural Jets and Bears Girls Flag league, represented the United Kingdom 🇬🇧

Whilst Stadtteilschule am Heidberg… pic.twitter.com/STHB05E9Gk

— New York Jets UK (@NYJetsinUK) October 10, 2023

Ealing council’s cabinet member for a fairer start, Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, said: “This was such an exciting opportunity for the girls.

“It’s fantastic to see young people getting involved in sport, especially ones that are not traditionally practised in all schools.”

Many of the students at Ealing Fields got a taste for flag football after playing it for the first time at primary school.

Earlier this year, Little Ealing Primary School had a team that was taken to Las Vegas, after winning the NFL Flag National Championship held at Loughborough University.

Little Ealing qualified for the finals at Loughborough after months of competing regionally alongside eleven other primary schools from around the country.

The twelve primary schools were cheered on by NFL stars as they participated in the non-contact, five-a-side version of American Football.

Super Bowl-winning Denver Broncos’ all-star quarterback Russell Wilson was in attendance, alongside Houston Texans British defensive lineman Adedayo Odeyele, among others.

Little Ealing defeated St. Mary’s Hall Stoneyhurst 12-6 in sudden-death overtime, which booked their place to represent the UK at the NFL’s annual Pro Bowl game in Las Vegas.