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National League Teams Aim for Final Surge

The battle to reach BritBowl XXV – the official championship weekend for the BAFA National Leagues – is heating up with the playoffs reaching the semi-final stage.

Among those looking to book their place in the two-day championship showdown at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre on Saturday September 24 and Sunday September 25 are the nine-time national champion London Olympians, who train at the London venue each week.

The Olympians went 10-0 in the regular season and moved into the final four with a quarter final victory over the Ipswich Cardinals. The long-time powerhouse will now face the Leicester Falcons in the Division 1 semi-final at Well Hall Sports Ground, Eltham, on Sunday September 4.

Olympians head coach RIQ AYUB says: “Being at home is not necessarily a motivation for us. It will be an added bonus if we get there, but we just want to get to the final first and foremost. Leicester are a big, strong team who will present quite a challenge.”

The second Division 1 semi-final features another long-time British American football power as the second-seed Birmingham Bulls play host to Scotland’s East Kilbride Pirates. The Division 2 semi-finals will also take place on Sunday as the West Coast Trojans host the Shropshire Revolution and the South Wales Warriors visit the Lancashire Wolverines.

The semi-finals for the elite Premier Division will take place on Sunday September 11 with top-ranked London foes on course to meet at BritBowl XXV. The London Blitz will host the Bristol Aztecs, while the London Warriors - featuring TV personality and NFL fan VERNON KAY among their squad – will take on the Tamworth Phoenix.

The action-packed BritBowl XXV weekend sees nine national finals take place over two days and will also feature musical performances from THE URBAN VOODOO MACHINE – critically acclaimed by NME magazine – and human beatbox and hip-hop sensation LIPPICOOL, who has been one of the musical hits of the summer at BBC Radio One’s Big Weekends.

Single day tickets cost £15 for adults,£10 for 14 to 18-year-olds and £6.00 for under 14s.

Weekend packages for both days of gridiron action cost £25 for adults, £15 for 14 to 18-year-olds and £8.50 for under 14s.

Tickets can be bought in advance via Ticketmaster at http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Tickets can also be bought on the day. The gates open at 12 noon each day and kickoff times will be announced soon.

 Photo (c) Shropshire Revolution