St Mary's Hall Stonyhurst children to compete in NFL Flag National Championship in Loughborough

The NFL Flag National Championship is the final stage of the year’s Flag Football competition, with St Mary’s Hall one of 12 primary school teams competing for the Championship title. The winning school will enjoy the trip of lifetime – representing the United Kingdom against other international teams at the 2023 Pro Bowl in Las Vegas.

St Mary’s Hall is one of 300 schools now playing Flag Football – a non-contact version of American Football – with 20,000 children involved in regional competitions. The sport is in contention for inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and aims to engage people of all ages, genders, and abilities. St. Mary's Hall represented Manchester in the 2019 tournament and return this year as long-running members of the programme.

St Mary’s Hall benefited from NFL providing free Flag Football training and equipment to all primary and secondary schools who wish to take part. Both boys and girls also play the game together – with 53% of participants being female – providing a fully inclusive experience.

To celebrate the NFL Flag National Championship and support the primary school children, a host of NFL stars, including the UK’s own Efe Obada will be in attendance.

He will be joined by the ‘Scottish Hammer’, Inverness-born New York Giants punter Jamie Gillan, Minnesota Vikings duo K.J. Osborn and Danielle Hunter, and BBC Pundit and former NFL player Jason Bell.