The British American Football Association (BAFA), in partnership with British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS), is launching a nationwide Talent ID Tour to unearth the next generation of elite Flag Football athletes.
With Flag Football set to make its debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, BAFA is expanding its talent pool by inviting student-athletes to try out for the Great Britain Flag Football teams.
The selected athletes will have the chance to represent the Great Britain in international tournaments over the next three years, with the ultimate goal of securing a place in the Olympic squad.
The BUCS x BAFA Talent ID Tour will take place at:
- Loughborough University – Wednesday, 7th May (1-4pm), XV field (registration in David Wallace Building) – REGISTRATION LINK
- Swansea University – Wednesday, 14th May (1-4pm), 3G/ ITC at the Swansea Bay Sports Park – REGISTRATION LINK
- University of Nottingham – Wednesday, 21st May (1-4pm), David Ross Sports Village Turf – REGISTRATION LINK
- University of Edinburgh – Wednesday 28th May (1-4pm), Peffermill Sports Complex – REGISTRATION LINK
Jason Scott, BAFA’s Head of National Programmes said: “We already have some of the best American Football players in our teams, but to compete on the world stage, we need to tap into the UK’s broader athletic talent. This is a unique opportunity for student-athletes to try a new sport, challenge themselves, and potentially become Olympians.”
Flag Football is a non-contact, fast-paced version of American Football that focuses on skill, strategy, and teamwork. With gender equity at its core, Flag Football provides equal opportunities for male and female athletes to compete at the highest level.
Scott added: “The key skills required for Flag Football – speed, agility, hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and explosive power – are highly transferable from many other sports – including netball, basketball, volleyball, rugby, cricket, tennis, badminton, and soccer. With such a rich pool of sporting talent within BUCs university sports programmes, the Talent ID Tour offers, our student athletes yet another pathway into elite sport.”
Tonye Dobuko, BUCS’s American Football Programme Manager said: “We are extremely excited to see the start of the Flag Football Talent ID Tour. When you look at our BUCS member institutions, you can’t help but be impressed by the depth and calibre of the student-athletes that compete across our programmes. With Flag Football’s continued growth in BUCS, these ID days provide a great opportunity for student-athletes to begin a journey that could potentially end with them becoming Olympians.”
Those who impress the GB coaching staff at the events may be invited to further training camps and development programmes. BAFA will announce additional Talent ID opportunities in the near future. If successful, the programme will expand into Autumn 2025, reaching more universities across the UK.
For more information about the Flag Talent ID Tour please contact Jason Scott at jason.scott@britishamericanfootball.org. For more information about British American Football please visit www.britishamericanfootball.org or contact Tony Snow at media@britishamericanfootball.org.
All images courtesy of Andy Keith andykeith.photo
