American football team UL Vikings are set to take on the Craigavon Cowboys Sunday,April 26 with kick-off at 2pm in Lurgan RFC, County Armagh. Both teams are looking to get their first win of the season, which will be vital for Premier Division survival.
The Vikings played the Cowboys twice last season, losing to them in Craigavon 10-0 followed by a 20-0 win for the Limerick team on their home grounds. The upcoming game is highly anticipated for both teams as they prepare to face each other again.
The UL Vikings were established in 1999, originally playing flag football, a non-contact adaptation of American football.
Now, they play a mix of both flag football and American football. The game is played with two teams of 11 players. The main offensive goal is to score a touchdown.
UL Vikings head coach Darragh O’Callaghan spoke about how the team have been doing so far this season and how they are preparing to face the Craigavon Cowboys again.
“There’s been a good reaction to our last game from all our players and coaches, and we think it was a good reflection of ourselves as a team. It’s showing in our training what we are looking to do this Sunday.”
James Pellham-Burn, a former player on the Viking team, has his predictions for the match. “I think it will be a tight game this weekend, if the Vikings can pull together a strong offensive line, then I think they’ll be unstoppable.” The recent UL graduate played on the team for their last encounter with the Craigavon Cowboys, where he played right guard on the offensive line.
Daragh O’Callaghan encourages people to give the sport a chance if they are interested, “Reach out to the club. If you want to come down and play the sport or volunteer or just help out.”
He was quick to assure those worried about being inexperienced that the club is beginner friendly;“We have our flag team which is a non-contact version. There’s a place for everyone in the club,small or large, there’s a spot for everyone.”