American Football Wellington
| Sport | American Football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 |
| No. of teams | 3 |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Official website | www.afwellington.com |
American Football Wellington, abbreviated AFW, is the governing body for American Football (Gridiron) in Wellington, New Zealand. Formerly known as the American Football Southern Conference (AFSC), it was officially established in 1996 to govern the sport of American football in the Wellington and greater lower North Island region. The league generally runs from November through February ending with two teams competing for the Capital Bowl championship game. The AFW is an affiliate member of the New Zealand American Football Federation (NZAFF), which governs the sport of American Football in New Zealand.
American football in Wellington began in 1987 when local Wellingtonian Quentin Poulsen started up Wellington's first American football team. Games were played against another team organised by former National Basketball League coach Jeff Green. The games were played without equipment. The following year, a committee was set up and named their team the Harbour City Hurricanes American Football Club and in 1989 the team finally obtained some equipment. By then Jeff's team had folded leaving the Hurricanes the only organised American football team in Wellington. Quentin went on to form two more clubs in Wellington. He established the Hutt Valley Chargers and Capital City Giants teams in 1990 and 1991 respectively.
By 1996 three more clubs had join the existing teams from Wellington. All three clubs were from outside the Wellington region. The Levin Tigers (folded in 1993), Wanganui Royals and the Manawatu Silverbacks. That year a regional governing organisation was formed by representatives of the current clubs and the Wellington representatives of the New Zealand Gridiron Officials Association. Horst Maczuga was voted the inaugural Commissioner of the newly formed American Football Southern Conference.
The league did not run any competition from 2013 to 2015, and has returned in 2016.
Club Members[edit]
Current Club Members[edit]
- Spartans Sports Club trading as the Hutt Valley Spartans
- Established: 1990 (Left AFSC to join Gridiron New Zealand in 1999. Rejoined AFSC in 2003 as the Hutt Valley Spartans)
- Former names: Hutt Valley Chargers
- Founder: Michael Wilson
- Location: Hutt Valley
- Club colours: Orange and white (Spartans), Green and Gold (Chargers)
- AFW Championships: Five
- Southern Zone/Ambassadors Cup: Four
- Wellington City Wolves American Football Club
- Established: 2003
- Former names: Amalgamation of the Harbour City Sharks (formerly known as the Wellington Knights) and Capital Patriots (formerly known as the Wellington/Porirua/Harbour City Hurricanes)
- Founder: Harbour City Sharks and Capital Patriots
- Location: Wellington
- Club colours: Green and Orange
- AFW Championships: One
- Southern Zone/Ambassadors Cup: Three
Clubs in Abeyance[edit]
- Porirua Knights American Football Club
- Established: 2001
- Former names: Knight City Knights, Porirua City Knights
- Founder: John Kisiona
- Location: Porirua
- Club colours: Purple and Gold
- AFW Championships: Four
- Southern Zone/Ambassadors Cup: Four
- Linton Central Turbines American Football Club
- Established: 2006
- Former names: N/a
- Founder: Bryn Morton and Justin Williams
- Location: Linton Army Base
- Club colours: Black and Red
- AFW Championships: Nil
- Southern Zone/Ambassadors Cup: Nil
- Porirua Giants American Football Club
- Established: 1991
- Former names: Capital City Giants, Wellington Giants
- Founder: Quentin Poulsen
- Location: Porirua (formerly Wellington)
- Club colours: Black, Red and Gold
- AFW Championships: Nine
- Southern Zone/Ambassadors Cup: Three
Former Club Members[edit]
- Capital Patriots
- Established: 1990 (Amalgamated with the Harbour City Sharks to form Wellington City Wolves in 2003)
- Former names: Harbour City/Porirua/Wellington Hurricanes
- Founder: Quentin Poulsen
- Club colours: Aqua blue and silver (Patriots), Gold and black (Hurricanes)
- AFW Championships: Two
- Southern Zone/Ambassadors Cup: Four
- Horowhenua Tigers
- Established: 1992 (folded 1993), 2000 (folded 2001)
- Former names: Levin Tigers
- Founder: N/a
- Location: Levin
- Club colours: Black and Red
- AFW Championships: One
- Southern Zone/Ambassadors Cup: One
- Wanganui Royals
- Established: 1994 (folded 1996)
- Former names: N/a
- Founder: N/a
- Location: Wanganui
- Club colours: Blue and White
- AFW Championships: Nil
- Southern Zone/Ambassadors Cup: Nil
- Manawatu Silverbacks
- Established: 1996 (Left AFSC to join Gridiron New Zealand in 1999. Rejoined AFSC 2001. Club folded 2004)
- Former names: N/a
- Founder: Paul Morris
- Location: Palmerston North
- Club colours: Silver and White
- AFW Championships: Nil
- Southern Zone/Ambassadors Cup: One
- Linton Marauders
- Established: 1997 (folded 1998)
- Former names: N/a
- Founder: N/a
- Location: Linton Army Base
- Club colours: Maroon
- AFW Championships: Nil
- Southern Zone/Ambassadors Cup: Nil
- Harbour City Sharks
- Established: 1998 (Amalgamated with the Capital Patriots to form Wellington City Wolves in 2003)
- Former names: Wellington Knights
- Founder: John Kisiona, Dominic Viles and Matt Hudson
- Location: Wellington
- Club colours: Orange and black (Sharks), Gold and black (Knights)
- AFW Championships: Nil
- Southern Zone/Ambassadors Cup: One
- Mavericks
- Established: 1999 (Folded 2001)
- Former names: N/a
- Founder: Mike Skinnon
- Location: Petone
- Club colours: Purple and blue
- AFW Championships: Nil
- Southern Zone/Ambassadors Cup: Nil
Capital Bowl winners[edit]
The Capital Bowl championship game is the Grand Final of the AFW senior season and is generally played in mid or late February. In 1990 two founding teams, the Harbour City Hurricanes and the Hutt Valley Chargers competed in organised games between each other during the season. Quentin Poulsen who founded both teams, personally donated a trophy for the inaugural Wellington championship game. The name given to the championship game was the Capital Bowl given the city's status as New Zealand's capital. The Hurricanes defeated the Chargers 20–16 in the inaugural championship game.
During the 2002–2003 season, the American Football Southern Conference gave a new name to the Capital Bowl trophy and called it the Horst Maczuga Trophy, in recognition of the league's inaugural AFSC Commissioner, former Head Coach of the Harbour City Hurricanes and NZGOA Official, Horst Maczuga.
| Season | Year | Game | Team | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-2012 | 2012 | Capital Bowl XXII | Hutt Valley Spartans | Wellington City Wolves | 24–6 |
| 2010-2011 | 2011 | Capital Bowl XXI | Hutt Valley Spartans | Wellington City Wolves | 34–8 |
| 2009-2010 | 2010 | Capital Bowl XX | Porirua Knights | Hutt Valley Spartans | 28–8 |
| 2008-2009 | 2009 | Capital Bowl XIX | Wellington City Wolves | Hutt Valley Spartans | 20–13 |
| 2007-2008 | 2008 | Capital Bowl XVIII | Porirua Knights | Wellington City Wolves | 28–18 |
| 2006-2007 | 2007 | Capital Bowl XVII | Porirua Knights | Wellington City Wolves | 14–6 |
| 2005-2006 | 2006 | Capital Bowl XVI | Hutt Valley Spartans | Knight City Knights | 21–19 (4 OT) |
| 2004-2005 | 2005 | Capital Bowl XV | Porirua Giants | Knight City Knights | 13–0 |
| 2003-2004 | 2004 | Capital Bowl XIV | Porirua Giants | Knight City Knights | 22–20 |
| 2002-2003 | 2003 | Capital Bowl XIII | Knight City Knights | Manawatu Silverbacks | 42–0 |
| 2001-2002 | 2002 | Capital Bowl XII | Porirua Giants | Knight City Knights | 12–3 |
| 2000-2001 | 2001 | Capital Bowl XI | Porirua Giants | Harbour City Sharks | 12–3 |
| 1999-2000 | 2000 | Capital Bowl X | Porirua Giants | Wellington Knights | 22–0 |
| 1998-1999 | 1999 | Capital Bowl IX | Porirua Giants | Manawatu Silverbacks | 46–21 |
| 1997-1998 | 1998 | Capital Bowl VIII | Porirua Giants | Wellington Hurricanes | 6–0 |
| 1996-1997 | 1997 | Capital Bowl VII | Porirua Hurricanes | Manawatu Silverbacks | 30–8 |
| 1995-1996 | 1996 | Capital Bowl VI | Capital City Giants | Porirua Hurricanes | 8–0 |
| 1994-1995 | 1995 | Capital Bowl V | Capital City Giants | Porirua Hurricanes | 24–6 |
| 1993-1994 | 1994 | Capital Bowl IV | Hutt Valley Chargers | Levin Tigers | WBD |
| 1992 | 1992 | Capital Bowl III | Levin Tigers | Capital City Giants | 21–7 |
| 1991 | 1991 | Capital Bowl II | Hutt Valley Chargers | Harbour City Hurricanes | 12–6 |
| 1990 | 1990 | Capital Bowl I | Harbour City Hurricanes | Hutt Valley Chargers | 20–16 |
Ambassadors Cup Competition[edit]
The Ambassadors Cup Competition is AFW's annual flagship American football senior competition, which generally takes place from early November through February. The competition was previously known as the Southern Zone competition and started in 1991 with three teams (Harbour City Hurricanes, Hutt Valley Chargers and Capital City Giants) competing in the inaugural season. The Hutt Valley Chargers won the inaugural Southern Zone competition and were awarded the Southern Zone Championship Cup, which was presented by former United States of America's Ambassador, Dean Newman in 1992.
The competition name was changed to the Ambassadors Cup Competition to match the new name of the trophy, prior to the 2004–2005 season. The Ambassadors Cup competition format is a Round-Robin that generally runs for 10 weeks with every team facing each other twice. The AFW uses a Points System to decide who is awarded the Ambassadors Cup at the end of the regular season. The team with highest number of competition points, based on the points system wins the Ambassadors Cup.
The AFW Points System:
- Four (4) points are awarded for a win
- Two (2) point for a draw
- One (1) point for a loss by seven (7) or fewer points
The number of teams competing in the Ambassadors Cup competition determines the number of teams that will qualify for post-season matches including the Capital Bowl championship game. The post season formula is as follows:
- 3 Team Competition – (2 teams maximum qualify) – 1st and 2nd – Capital Bowl
- 4 Team Competition – (2 teams maximum qualify) – 1st and 2nd – Capital Bowl
- 5 Team Competition – (3 teams maximum qualify) – 3rd v 2nd (Elimination) – Winner v 1st in Capital Bowl
- 6 Team (or more) Competition – (4 teams maximum qualify) – 1st v 4th & 2nd v 3rd (Semi) – Winners in Capital Bowl OR 1st v 2nd (Game 1) & 3rd v 4th (Game 2), Game 1 loser v Game 2 winner (Game 3) – Game 3 winner v Game 1 winner in Capital Bowl.
| Season | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2011–2012 | Hutt Valley Spartans |
| 2010–2011 | Hutt Valley Spartans |
| 2010–2011 | Wellington City Wolves |
| 2009–2010 | Hutt Valley Spartans |
| 2008–2009 | Wellington City Wolves |
| 2007–2008 | Porirua City Knights |
| 2006–2007 | Porirua City Knights |
| 2005–2006 | Wellington City Wolves |
| 2004–2005 | Knight City Knights |
| 2003–2004 | Porirua Giants |
| 2002–2003 | Knight City Knights |
| 2001–2002 | Manawatu Silverbacks |
| 2000–2001 | Harbour City Sharks |
| 1999–2000 | Porirua Giants |
| 1998–1999 | Porirua Giants |
| 1997–1998 | Porirua Hurricanes |
| 1996–1997 | Porirua Hurricanes |
| 1995–1996 | Porirua Hurricanes |
| 1994–1995 | Porirua Hurricanes |
| 1993–1994 | Hutt Valley Chargers |
| 1992–1993 | Levin Tigers |
| 1991–1992 | Hutt Valley Chargers |
See also[edit]
- New Zealand American Football Federation – National governing body
External links[edit]
This article "American Football Wellington" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:American Football Wellington. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
