The Cowboys flag team head to Dublin tomorrow to compete in the EBC V Playoffs after an undefeated regular season saw them crowned EBC North Champions. Having finished the overall league as 2nd seed, the team by-passes the wildcard round and are straight into the semi-finals, playing for a spot in the EBC Championship game. We caught up with flag team manager Jason Duddy to get his thoughts before the big day.

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.

We are delighted to announce the addition of Aimee Allen, Gabrielle Gordon, Klara Jean Hamill, Liam Grimley and Saoirse McTaggart to our club media team. The team is lead by club PRO Scott Buchanan with assistance from David McMichael, Mark Beattie and Jo Buchanan. We would like to extend a warm welcome to the club and best of luck in your roles!

Positions:
Aimee & Liam - Reporters
Gabrielle - Social Media Operator
Klara & Saoirse - Photographers/Graphic Design
 
Do you want to volunteer with the Cowboys? Check out our volunteering page for more information on how you can get involved. Further roles including Operations Manager and Events Co-Ordinator will be advertised soon. 

This morning, Sport NI representatives and Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council Deputy Mayor Paul Duffy joined us at our Give It A Go session to announce our club President Jo Buchanan as the Sport NI Young Volunteer of the Year 2018 winner and presented Jo with his award. Describing Jo's contribution to the club, his nominator said "The Craigavon Cowboys would not be where we are without the hard work and immense time that Jo has put in. He is a true role model for young and old alike within our club and It’s simply incredible the amount of time that he dedicates." This follows volunteer awards for Manny Bell and Greg Loughran earlier this year - it's great to see that the hard work and dedication of our volunteers is being recognised. Congratulations Jo!

We are currently looking for people to join our media team, in various roles such as photographers, videographers, visual designers, video editors, social media operators etc. Travel to away games will be provided as well as the opportunity to travel further afield with teams within the club having been to Copenhagen, Vienna, Glasgow and Salou in the past 3 years. The club will also pay for volunteer training such as first aid and child protection courses. The roles will require you to be available on most Sundays, with duties varying per role. See more information on volunteering within our club here.

This is a great opportunity to add quality experience to your CV or continue your passion in a new area. You don’t need to have any knowledge of American Football, just be willing to learn!

Please note: this is a volunteer position, not a paid position. The successful candidate will be required to undertake an AccessNI check, with the club covering the cost.

Interested candidates should fill out the below form, and we will be in touch with you in due course.

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.

Report and photos by Jason Duddy
 
Game day 2 would see the Cowboys play divisional rivals Belfast Knights and Belfast Trojans. The Knights and Trojans played the first game of the day, with the Knights coming out on top 33-28. The Cowboys then took on the Knights in game 2. We had few new members on the roster for this game as well as the most of the team returning so there was no lack of choice.

The Cowboys started off a bit slow, with the Knights finding joy up the middle. However, in time the Cowboys got into the game and started to play the way we know we can. The coverage was better, the play calling from Ben Fallon was great and the offense was clicking. Scores from Niall Quinn & Peter Loughran with Jamie Wilson’s extra point made It 13-7 at half-time to the Cowboys. The Knights didn't get another score in the game, in fact it was the defense who were having as much joy as anyone.

In his first ever flag game, Joseph Marley got an interception on a crucial play, while Matthew Kelly came away with a pick 6. Ben Fallon also got on the score sheet in this game, while also throwing a few touchdowns to his teammates, one of which was Conrad Smith who would go on to prove very useful in the second game.
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The Knights may have tired near the end but that doesn't mean the second half was easy for the 'Boys. David McMichael made some great flag pulls throughout the day with Lawrence Ruddock also getting in on the action with a few batted balls and an interception in the first half. The score in the end was 39-7 to the Cowboys but the Knights played well and for only 5 players, playing 2 matches in a row must have been hard.

For your chance to win an NFL Jersey of your choice, fill in the below form and press submit! The winner will be announced on our Facebook page on Sunday 30th September. Check out our Facebook page to find out how you can gain more entries!
 
By entering this competition, you agree that the Craigavon Cowboys can contact you directly about club events. Your details will not be shared with any third parties.

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.