{{Short description|Irish American football team}} {{multiple| {{notability|org|date=May 2025}} {{Independent sources|date=May 2025}} }} {{Infobox American football team | name = University College Dublin | logo = University College Dublin logo.svg | nickname = The Students<ref name="GaelicGridironChamp2024">[https://gaelicgridiron.com/2024/07/20/afi-championship-weekend-preview/ AFI Championship Weekend Preview – Gaelic Gridiron (20 July 2024)]</ref> | established = 2009<ref name="EirballTeamTimeline">{{cite web |title=AFI American Football Ireland and Predecessors Teams Timeline 1942–2022 |url=https://eirball.ie/afi-american-football-ireland-and-predecessors-teams-timeline-1942-2022/ |website=Eirball.ie |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref> | location = Dublin, Ireland | stadium = UCD Sports Grounds, Belfield | league = AFI Premier Division | colors = Navy blue, sky blue, and white | league_champs = (2) 2022, 2024<!-- list of championships won --> | website = [https://www.ucd.ie/sport/clubs/clublist/americanfootball/ ucd.ie] }} '''University College Dublin American Football Club''' is the official American football team of University College Dublin (UCD), based in Dublin, Ireland. The club competes in both kitted and flag football under the governance of American Football Ireland (AFI).<ref name="UCDAmericanFootball">{{cite web |title=American Football – UCD Sport |url=https://www.ucd.ie/sport/clubs/clublist/americanfootball/ |website=University College Dublin |access-date=2025-05-23}}</ref> UCD has become one of the leading American football programs in the country,<ref name="GaelicGridiron2025Preview">{{cite news |last=English |first=Jimmy |title=2025 AFI Season Preview |url=https://gaelicgridiron.com/2025/02/19/2025-afi-season-preview/ |work=Gaelic Gridiron |date=2025-02-19 |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref><ref name="DerryJournalVipersReturn">{{cite news |last=Coyle |first=Dylan |title=Donegal Derry Vipers and American Football Ireland returns! |url=https://www.derryjournal.com/sport/other-sport/donegal-derry-vipers-and-american-football-ireland-returns-4536027 |work=Derry Journal |date=2024-02-28 |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref><ref name="FermanaghHeraldUCDVictory">{{cite news |title=Fermanagh American Football star leads UCD to victory |url=https://fermanaghherald.com/2024/08/fermanagh-american-football-star-leads-ucd-to-victory/ |work=Fermanagh Herald |date=2024-08-09 |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref><ref name="AFIWeekOne2024">{{cite news |last=English |first=Jimmy |title=Ireland: UCD hold on to down the Rebels – Week One Review |url=https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/ireland-ucd-hold-on-to-down-the-rebels-week-one-review/ |work=American Football International |date=2024-03-06 |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref> qualifying for four consecutive Shamrock Bowls between 2022 and 2025 and winning in 2022 and 2024.<ref name="GaelicGridiron2022PowerRankings"></ref><ref name="AFIShamrockBowlXXXVI">{{cite news |last=English |first=Jimmy |title=Ireland: University College Dublin capture Shamrock Bowl XXXVI with overwhelming win over Dublin Rebels |url=https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/ireland-university-college-dublin-capture-shamrock-bowl-xxxv-with-overwhelming-win-over-dublin-rebels/ |work=American Football International |date=2024-07-29 |access-date=2025-05-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=English |first=Jimmy |date=2025-07-14 |title=AFI Championship Preview 2025 |website=Gaelic Gridiron |url=https://gaelicgridiron.com/2025/07/14/afi-championship-preview-2025/ |access-date=2025-07-19}}</ref>
== History == The team was established in 2009<ref name="EirballTeamTimeline"/> and originally played in the IAFA DV8 Development League beginning in 2009<ref name="EirballDV8League">{{cite web |title=Irish American Football League DV8 Development League 2008–2012 |url=https://eirball.ie/irish-american-football-league-dv8-development-league-2008-2012/ |website=Eirball.ie |access-date=2025-05-23}}</ref> as well as the intervarsity league competing for the IAFL College Bowl beginning in 2010.<ref name="EirballIntervarsity">{{cite web |title=American Football Ireland Intervarsity Championship 2006–Present |url=https://eirball.ie/american-football-ireland-intervarsity-championship-2006-present/ |website=Eirball.ie |access-date=2025-05-23}}</ref> UCD won the second-tier IAFL-1 Bowl in 2014<ref name="UCDIAFL1Championship">{{cite news |title=UCD wins IAFL1 Championship; Tyrone wins IAFL2 Championship |url=https://www.americanfootball.ie/ucd-wins-iafl1-championship/ |work=American Football Ireland |date=2014-08-17 |access-date=2025-05-23}}</ref> and IAFL College Bowl titles in 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019.<ref name="EirballIntervarsity"/> After the return of AFI play after two cancelled seasons in 2020-2021, UCD qualified for four consecutive Shamrock Bowl finals from 2022 to 2025. They captured their first Shamrock Bowl title in 2022 by defeating the Dublin Rebels 52–24.<ref name="GaelicGridiron2022PowerRankings">{{cite news |last=English |first=Jimmy |title=Irish American Football 2022 Premier Division Final Power Rankings |url=https://gaelicgridiron.com/2022/08/09/irish-american-football-2022-premier-division-final-power-rankings/ |work=Gaelic Gridiron |date=2022-08-09 |access-date=2025-05-23}}</ref> After finishing as Shamrock Bowl finalists in 2023 behind the Rebels,<ref name="IndependentTyHenry">{{cite news |last=Brennan |first=Shane |title=Ty Henry leads Dublin Rebels to Shamrock Bowl victory in 'the best game I have seen in Europe' |url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/ty-henry-leads-dublin-rebels-to-shamrock-bowl-victory-in-the-best-game-i-have-seen-in-europe/a249121885.html |work=Irish Independent |date=2023-07-17 |access-date=2025-05-23}}</ref><ref name="GaelicGridiron2024Preview">{{cite news |last=English |first=Jimmy |title=American Football Ireland 2024 Season Preview |url=https://gaelicgridiron.com/2024/02/16/american-football-ireland-season-preview-2024/ |work=Gaelic Gridiron |date=2024-02-16 |access-date=2025-05-23}}</ref> they followed up with a second Shamrock Bowl victory in 2024, winning 36–14 against the same opponent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UCD becomes two-time American football champions with Shamrock Bowl XXXVII victory |url=https://www.ucd.ie/newsandopinion/news/2024/july/30/ucdbecomestwo-timeamericanfootballchampionswithshamrockbowlxxxvivictory/ |website=UCD News |date=30 July 2024 |access-date=12 May 2025}}</ref><ref name="FermanaghHeraldUCDVictory"/> In 2025 they again qualified for the Shamrock Bowl final, but were defeated by the Belfast Trojans, 27-0.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 2025 champions have been decided |website=American Football Ireland |url=https://www.americanfootball.ie/the-2025-champions-have-been-decided/ |date=19 July 2025 |access-date=19 July 2025}}</ref>
== Competitions == UCD competes in the AFI Premier Division.<ref name="IndependentRebelsUCD">{{cite news |last=Brennan |first=Shane |title=American football round-up: Rebels stay unbeaten with one-point win over UCD |url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/american-football-round-up-rebels-stay-unbeaten-with-one-point-win-over-ucd/a1187506217.html |work=Irish Independent |date=2023-05-29 |access-date=2025-05-25}}</ref> The team fields squads for both kitted football and non-contact flag football.<ref name="UCDAmericanFootball"/> [[File:UCD celebrating Shamrock Bowl victory.jpg|thumb|UCD American Football team celebrating their second Shamrock Bowl victory on 28 July 2024]]
== Honours == * '''Shamrock Bowl Champions''' (2): XXXIV (2022),<ref name="GaelicGridiron2022PowerRankings"/> XXXVI (2024)<ref name="AFIShamrockBowlXXXVI"/> * '''Shamrock Bowl Finalists''' (2): 2023, 2025<ref name="GaelicGridiron2024Preview"/><ref name="IndependentTyHenry"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 2025 champions have been decided |website=American Football Ireland |url=https://www.americanfootball.ie/the-2025-champions-have-been-decided/ |date=19 July 2025 |access-date=19 July 2025}}</ref> * '''IAFL-1 Bowl Champions''' (1): 2014<ref name="UCDIAFL1Championship"/> * '''IAFL College Bowl Champions''' (4): 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019<ref name="EirballIntervarsity"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{IAFL}}
{{Amfoot-team-stub}} {{Ireland-sport-team-stub}} Category:American football teams in County Dublin Category:University College Dublin Category:Sports clubs and teams established in 2009 Category:Student sport in Ireland