While the ISFL has gone global, and has an Australian team already represented in the DSFL(Bondi Beach), the London Royals franchise has just finished a scouting and training program in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. The UK still holds sway over the colonies, and as a member of the Commonwealth, Australia seems like a logical choice for London to increase it's global influence, despite the presence of Bondi.
When London initially started to put together this program, Buffalo Hunter the former Royals Tight End volunteered to lead the "expedition" down under and run the participants through the various drills and propaganda, err, information sessions and also to evaluate the talent. With raw athletes drawn from several sports including Rugby League and Australian Rules Football(AFL), the Royals ran several sessions introducing prospective new players to the game of American Football and the results were impressive, at least athletically. While the nuances of the North American sport were not displayed by the Aussies, the endurance, strength and toughness was easy to observe by those in attendance. In recent years, the Pacific Islands have started to dominate the talent pool of the Southern Hemisphere and most of the top tier athletes seen by the Royals in Sydney were of Samoan, Tongan and Fijian heritage, with a rare combination of size, speed and strength, perfect attributes that translate well to the ISFL stage.
In Melbourne, where AFL dominates the sporting landscape, most of the players were more suited to the skill positions such as kickers and punters, as seen recently in the NFL where the skillset translates more easily for those positions.
All in all, the trip to Australia was a success with a couple of athletes earmarked for further development and possibly a future in the DSFL/ISFL.
When London initially started to put together this program, Buffalo Hunter the former Royals Tight End volunteered to lead the "expedition" down under and run the participants through the various drills and propaganda, err, information sessions and also to evaluate the talent. With raw athletes drawn from several sports including Rugby League and Australian Rules Football(AFL), the Royals ran several sessions introducing prospective new players to the game of American Football and the results were impressive, at least athletically. While the nuances of the North American sport were not displayed by the Aussies, the endurance, strength and toughness was easy to observe by those in attendance. In recent years, the Pacific Islands have started to dominate the talent pool of the Southern Hemisphere and most of the top tier athletes seen by the Royals in Sydney were of Samoan, Tongan and Fijian heritage, with a rare combination of size, speed and strength, perfect attributes that translate well to the ISFL stage.
In Melbourne, where AFL dominates the sporting landscape, most of the players were more suited to the skill positions such as kickers and punters, as seen recently in the NFL where the skillset translates more easily for those positions.
All in all, the trip to Australia was a success with a couple of athletes earmarked for further development and possibly a future in the DSFL/ISFL.
Code:
293