The Bristol Aztecs charged to a 49-10 victory over the Manchester Titans in Britbowl 38, claiming their second successive Mixed Adult Premiership title at Coventry’s Nick Newbold Stadium.
The stage was set in Coventry after more championship action on Saturday, where the London Blitz U19 claimed their eleventh national title while the Birmingham Lions took the 2026 National Women’s Football League crown.
More than 1000 spectators brought the noise to Nick Newbold Stadium for Britbowl Weekend powered by Union Jack Classic, concluding the 2026 contact American football season ahead of Flag Finals just a week later.
In Britbowl 38, Bristol quickly came out the gates, with Aztecs quarterback and 2025 MVP Ethan Gretzinger finding receiver Sam East for a pair of touchdowns early on. The Manchester Titans found a thrilling response as Josh Mills delivered a dart to receiver Brad Temple, who ran in the 65-yard score.
Bristol’s depth and ball-hawking defence took over, however, with ‘pick-six’ interceptions from Matheus Nudelman and Adam Woodward cementing the reigning champions lead. Running back and eventual Britbowl 38 MVP Josh Breece ran stubbornly behind Bristol’s imposing offensive line, exploding for a 65-yard rushing score between touchdowns from Shaun Vaughan and Gretzinger.
In the National Women’s Football League Final on Saturday night, the Birmingham Lions came out victorious over the London Warriors in a narrow 8-7 win. The game was spearheaded by the tireless work of two-way players on both sides; Birmingham running back and linebacker Ruth Matta, and London linebacker, running back and eventual MVP Susan Fagbohun.
While Matta took on the heavy lifting, it was Birmingham’s Oli Davies who put the points on the board, forcing a first-quarter safety from the linebacker position before running in a touchdown on the following drive. London’s Sam Read gave the Warriors fantastic field position on their subsequent possession, returning the kick-off to Birmingham’s 30 yard line. Patient running in behind London’s offensive line carried the Warriors closer to pay-dirt, before Fagbohun added the finishing touch. Read added the extra point to make it 8-7 in favour of Birmingham.
Both defenses held firm throughout the remainder of the game before late drama in the final two minutes had the Coventry crowd on the edge of their seats. First, a goal-line stand from Birmingham’s defense forced a London turnover on downs at the two yard line, before a blocked field goal on London’s next drive again denied them points. A Birmingham fumble gave London one final chance with just 45 seconds on the clock, but after three rushing attempts, Read’s 34-yard field goal with 9 seconds left would fall agonisingly wide.
Champions and MVP’s from BAFA National Leagues Finals powered by Union Jack Classic:
U19 Division One: London Blitz 12 – 8 Nottingham Caesars
MVP: Abdul-Samad Ilupeju, London
Adult Division One: East Kent Mavericks 26 – 0 Newcastle Vikings
MVP: Sequan Gill, East Kent
Adult Division Two: Ipswich Cardinals 32 – 14 Lancashire Buccaneers
MVP: Joseph Haylock, Ipswich
U16 Championship: Rushmoor Knights 25 – 18 Solent Seahawks
MVP: Tom Green, Rushmoor
NWFL 7’s: Hertfordshire Cheetahs 21 – 13 Cheshire Bears
MVP: Audrey Mann, Hertfordshire