The Craigavon Cowboys returned to Portadown with the IAFL 1 Bowl in hand on Sunday past, following a dramatic 28-27 win over the Westmeath Minotaurs. The weather was perfect for football as was the pitch at Navan RFC. The game started with both teams showing nerves as the first quarter ended scoreless before the game came to life in the second quarter.

The Cowboys advance to the 2019 IAFL 1 Bowl courtesy of a 27-19 win over fourth seeds Trinity College Dublin in the IAFL 1 playoffs. This is the third year in a row that the Cowboys have reached the Bowl game, but will be hoping for success this time having tasted defeat the past two times.

By Liam Grimley

​Ahead of tomorrows crunch game against the Vipers, we spoke with Cowboys Defensive Co-ordinator Mark Beattie to get his thoughts on the season so far as well as tomorrows game.

Calling all former Cowboys - This year’s Alumni Game will commemorate the Cowboys first chairman Marcell Seeley, who passed away recently. Marcell was a cornerstone of the club when it was first established in 1986: organising and running the club, raising money for equipment, travelling to London for the American Bowl games, as well as winning the very first Shamrock Bowl.
​
A lunch is being organised pre-game at Bennetts, Portadown. This will be from 12 noon, of which we invite Marcell’s family and all Cowboys Alumni to attend. Please contact Jo Buchanan (j.buchanan1994@hotmail.co.uk) so we have an idea of numbers to book.

Bennetts is a 5 minute walk away from our home venue at Peoples Park, where the Cowboys will battle the Wexford Eagles for the Marcell Seeley Memorial Cup. Kick off is scheduled for 2pm.

The team will then be heading to the Parkside Bar after the game for drinks and food – all are welcome to share stories with old and new Cowboys.

Ahead of our senior teams first practice of 2019 this Sunday, we are pleased to announce our coaching staff for this upcoming season.

​Greg returns as head coach for his 12th year at the helm. Greg has been involved in American football in Ireland since the leagues inception in 1986 having been a player for a number of years before turning to coaching. His wealth of experience and knowledge has been, and continues to be, a huge benefit to the Cowboys. Two IAFL 1 Bowl losses in a row has only made Greg more determined to lead the team one step further this year.

By Jo Buchanan

As our second Give It A Go session quickly approaches, we spoke with Cowboys Rookie of the Year 2018 Joseph Marley to find out more about his experience in joining the club.

Watching the NFL and thinking "I'd love to do that"? Well now is your chance! The Craigavon Cowboys are recruiting players for the 2019 season. American Football is a unique sport in that no matter how tall or small you are, there is a position for everyone! The team is open to males and females aged over 18. The tryouts are scheduled for Sunday 25 November, Sunday 2 December and Sunday 9 December - sign up at this link.

On Saturday, our club celebrated another successful year as we continue to grow from strength to strength. Players and volunteers were awarded trophies to recognise their efforts and achievements this past year. We would like to thank the Seagoe Hotel for hosting us.

Flag Most Improved Player of the Year, sponsored by Phoenix Homes UK: David McMichael. Presented by flag team manager Niall Quinn.

Flag Defensive Player of the Year, sponsored by Phoenix Homes UK: Jo Buchanan. Presented by flag team manager Niall Quinn.

Flag Offensive Player of the Year, sponsored by Phoenix Homes UK: Jamie Wilson. Presented by flag team manager Niall Quinn.

This Sunday, our senior team looks to add to our clubs long history, as we take on the West Dublin Rhinos for the IAFL 1 Bowl. The team got to this stage last year and unfortunately lost, however this time we are looking to go one step further and bring the silverware back to Craigavon. Please find below all the information regarding the Bowl Game on Sunday that we currently have available to us:
 
Address: Gorey Celtic FC, Mullaunfin, Gorey, Co. Wexford, Ireland (https://goo.gl/maps/JFjX5VWiZat)
 
Time: Entertainment commences at 1pm, kick off is 2pm.
 
Parking: Free parking on site.
 
Cowboys Jersey Colour: Orange – show your support and wear orange on Sunday!
 
There will be various food vendors, bar and cocktail bar, inflatable obstacle course, bouncy castle, inflatable sumo suits, face painting and foot dart with an American football twist – something for all the family. 
 
Basil Kennedy (two time world heavy weight boxing champion) will be performing the coin toss at approximately 1.45pm. Beat FM, a popular South East radio station, will also be in attendance with their crew.
 
There will be a DJ for the entire day with an officials PA system. There will be entertainment at halftime also. Fans are welcome to the 64 Lounge in Gorey post game.
 
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch at craigavoncowboys@outlook.com and we will do our best to resolve your query.
 
Lets go Cowboys!

By Peter Cowan

The Craigavon Cowboys take on the West Dublin Rhinos on August 12th in Wexford in the IAFL 1 Bowl, but it’s far from the first time these two sides have met.

Over the last eight years, the two clubs have faced each other 10 times, with the Cowboys winning six of those fixtures and the Rhinos four. While they may have been founded 30 years and about 90 miles apart, the two clubs have a lot in common.

Both have earned reputations for fielding hard-hitting and competitive teams that never know when they’re defeated. Each club also recently dropped down to IAFL 1 after years competing at the top level in Ireland, the Rhinos in 2015 and the Cowboys in 2016.
​
Things are looking up now though, as they each sit four quarters away from silverware. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and see how previous meetings between the two sides played out.