Netherlands national American football team

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Netherlands Netherlands
Helmet
Left arm Body Right arm
Trousers
Socks
Home
Helmet
Left arm Body Right arm
Trousers
Socks
Away
Association AFBN
Region Europe (EFAF)
Founded 1987
IFAF Affiliation
Colors Orange, Black, White
Head coach Fred Armstrong
Team manager vacant
Netherlands national American football team
Medal record
American football
Representing  Netherlands
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Finland European Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Austria/Switzerland European C Group Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2016 United Kingdom European Championship Qualifying Tournament

The Dutch Lions is the Dutch national American Football team. The team represents the Netherlands in international competition and is made up entirely of Dutch national players, typically but not exclusively playing in the AFBN and GFL competitions.

History[edit]

The Lions first competed internationally in 1986. After failing to progress further than the first qualification round in 1987 (in Finland) and 1989 (in Germany), they achieved a 3rd-place finish in the 1991 European Championship in Finland. However, after failing to qualify for the tournament in 1993, combined with upheaval at home within the Dutch governing bodies, the Dutch National Team was to face a long absence from international competition.

Nine years after their previous incarnation, the Dutch returned to the international American Football scene in 2002 under the name Dutch Lions, finishing 5th in the 2003 EFAF C Group European Championship in Denmark after losses to Russia and Italy. Two more losses, this time to Switzerland and Norway in the 2007 EFAF C Group European Championship, led to another 5th place. Five years later, under new head coach Winston Ronde, the Lions improved on those results by finishing 3rd in the 2012 EFAF C Group Championship, this time in Austria, with a close loss to Serbia and a win over Russia.

In 2013 and 2014, the Lions played a series of practice games against Poland, Belgium, Czech Republic and Catalonia, losing only the game against Czech Republic in Prague. In 2015, head coach Winston Ronde resigned, and was replaced by Reyhan Agaoglu. After an away loss in a practice game against Switzerland, the Dutch Lions succeeded in qualifying for the 2016 European Championship Qualifying Tournament by defeating rivals Belgium in Waalwijk.

The Lions played host to Ireland in their first ever international practice game, again in Waalwijk, in 2016 as a warm up to the upcoming tournament in the United Kingdom. The Lions were comfortably ahead 20-0 when the game was abandoned early in the third quarter due to lightning.

In September 2016 the Dutch Lions travelled to Worcester, United Kingdom to compete in the qualifying tournament for the 2018 European Championship. Despite leading 13-0 at half time, an injury to Quarterback Richard Bouthoorn contributed to a heartbreaking 20-13 loss in the semi-final, thereby ending the dreams of competing in the 2018 finals. The Netherlands bounced back in the bronze medal game to defeat Russia 17-6. The Lions ended the 2016 season by taking a makeshift squad to face Poland in Lublin in an exhibition game, losing comprehensively 42-14.

In August 2017, it was revealed by the Belgian American Football Federation that American Football Bond Nederland had made the decision to put the Dutch Lions programme on hold until 2018. After the resignation of head coach Reyhan Agaoglu, the federation planned to announce a new head coach after the summer of 2017. [1]


The Dutch Lions have never qualified for the IFAF World Championship.

Most Recent Playing Squad (2016)[edit]

2016 Dutch National American Football Team Playing Squad (Qualifying Tournament)
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Most recent Coaching Staff (2016)[edit]

COACHING STAFF 2016
Name Position
Reyhan Agaoglu Head coach / Linebackers
Pepijn Mendonca Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach
Carel Aijelts Averink Receiver Coach
Pascal Matla Offensive Line coach
Orlando Mercelina Running Backs Coach
Michel Strom Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Line Coach
Robbie Hiensch Defensive Backs Coach
Steve Sheppard Special Teams Coordinator

Most recent Support Staff (2016)[edit]

SUPPORT STAFF 2016
Name Position
Claudio Bartolozzi General Manager
Dave Sahalessi Team Manager
Dennis Hemelrijk Equipment Manager
Yelmar Opstal Equipment Manager
Jip Regtop Trainer
Mailys Petrini Trainer
Danny Gips Trainer
Kay Constandse Video Crew
Nienke Kers Video Crew

All time results[edit]

Date Opponent Venue Result Competition Result
2 November 1986  Great Britain Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, GB
6–9
EFAF European Championship Qualifier Loss [2]
16 November 1986  Great Britain "The Queen's own" Field, Soesterberg, NL
5–24
EFAF European Championship Qualifier Loss [2]
16 August 1991  Great Britain Unknown Stadium, Finland
3–49
EFAF European Championship Semi-final Loss [3]
1991  France Unknown Stadium, Finland
17–12
EFAF European Championship 3rd Place Win [4]
29 October 2002 Germany GERManiacs (German Universities) The Hague, Netherlands
19–18
Exhibition match Win [5]
29 July 2003  Russia Glostrup Stadion, Denmark
10–28
EFAF C Group Championship Loss [6]
31 July 2003  Italy Glostrup Stadion, Denmark
21–63
EFAF C Group Championship Loss [7]
14 August 2007   Switzerland Sportstadion Wolfsberg, Austria
08–40
EFAF C Group Championship Loss [8]
16 August 2007  Norway Sportstadion Wolfsberg, Austria
00–27
EFAF C Group Championship Loss [9]
15 September 2012  Serbia Gründenmoos Stadium, St. Gallen, Switzerland
14–21
EFAF C Group Championship Loss [10]
17 September 2012  Russia Stadion Herrenried, Hohenems, Austria
17–15
EFAF C Group Championship Win [11]
14 September 2013  Poland Stadion Polonii, Warsaw, Poland
37–14
Exhibition match Win [12]
19 July 2014  Belgium Sportpark de Schorre, Ostend, Belgium
38–13
Exhibition match Win [13]
6 September 2014  Czech Republic Slavia Prague Athletic Stadium, Prague, Czech Republic
6–12
Exhibition match Loss [14]
18 October 2014 Catalonia Catalonia Estadi del GEiEG, Girona, Spain
36–26
Exhibition match Win [15]
19 September 2015   Switzerland Lachenstadion, Thun, Switzerland
0–12
Exhibition match Loss [16]
24 October 2015  Belgium Mandemakers Stadion, Waalwijk, Netherlands
17–3
IFAF B-Group Qualification Match Win [17]
27 August 2016  Ireland Mandemakers Stadion, Waalwijk, Netherlands
20-0
Exhibition match Win[18]
16 September 2016  Czech Republic Sixways Stadium, Worcester, United Kingdom
13-20
IFAF Euro Qualification Tournament Semi-Final Loss [19]
18 September 2016  Russia Sixways Stadium, Worcester, United Kingdom 17–6 IFAF Euro Qualification Tournament Third Place Game Win[20]
8 October 2016  Poland Arena Lublin, Lublin, Poland 42–14 Exhibition match Loss[21]
10 November 2018  Belgium Shotgun field, Beringen, Belgium 14–7 Exhibition match Loss[22]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ By AFI on 08/01/2017 (August 2017). "Dutch Lions, Holland's national team, cancel Belgium game, revamp for 2018". Americanfootballinternational.com. Retrieved 1 March 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ a b "GB Lions British American Football History 1987". Britballnow.co.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Helsinki 1991, Holland vs Great-Britain, American Football Europe". YouTube. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  4. ^ "1991 Holland- France, American Football European Championship". YouTube. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  5. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 November 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ "EFAF| European Federation of American Football". Efaf.info. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  7. ^ "EFAF| European Federation of American Football". Efaf.info. 31 July 2003. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  8. ^ "EFAF| Game". Efaf.info. 14 August 2007. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  9. ^ "EFAF| Game". Efaf.info. 16 August 2007. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  10. ^ "EFAF| European Federation of American Football". Efaf.info. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  11. ^ "EFAF| European Federation of American Football". Efaf.info. 17 September 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  12. ^ "Dutch Lions met gemak voorbij Polen". Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  13. ^ "Nederland wint 'battle of the low lands'". Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  14. ^ "Domeinregistratie €9,- per jaar, registreer je domein nu snel en makkelijk! Mijndomein.nl". Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  15. ^ Kelly, Roger (20 October 2014). "The Dutch Lions Defeat Team Catalonia". Americanfootballinternational.com. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  16. ^ "Safv.ch - Schweizerischer American Football Verband". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  17. ^ Kelly, Roger (25 October 2015). "Holland Defeats Belgium To Capture Final Berth in Crucial IFAF Europe Tournament". Americanfootballinternational.com. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  18. ^ Morrow, Scott (30 August 2016). "Weather Forces Abandonment as Dutch Lions Defeat Team Ireland". Americanfootballinternational.com. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  19. ^ By AFI on 09/18/2016 (18 September 2016). "LIVESTREAM: IFAF Europe Qualifier Final: Holland Faces Team Russia". Americanfootballinternational.com. Retrieved 1 March 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ By AFI on 10/08/2016 (8 October 2016). "LIVESTREAM: Team Poland Plays Host To Dutch Lions". Americanfootballinternational.com. Retrieved 1 March 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ By AFI on 10/10/2016 (10 October 2016). "Poland Dominates the Dutch Lions to Earn First Win of Year". Americanfootballinternational.com. Retrieved 1 March 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ john.mckeon (13 November 2018). "Belgian Barbarians defeat Team Holland for historic win". American Football International. Retrieved 1 March 2020.

External links[edit]