th 14 Nov
2019 |  Saturday in Norwich was women's flag american football Opal series round four. Hosted by the Iceni Spears we were very pleased to see their numbers have grown to offence and defence plus players over but not GB defensive end Victoria Ware as she'd injured her ankle playing netball. In contrast the Hyde Park Renegades (in white) had the just the minimal five and were devastating.
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sa 5 Oct
2019 |  An insight into women's american football from Cheshire Bears defensive lineperson Megan Delaney.(a one time roller derbyist) A safety (around 2:58) because the QB threw the ball out the back of the end zone. We've seen player panic in a uni game do the same and we've done similar playing rugby <blush>.
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su 18 Aug
2019 |  Devastated that Great Britain women's american football last night won their match against Finland but failed to win the European Championship by two points. Towards the end our stomachs got so tight we felt ill but gratifying that Iceni Spear Victoria Ware playing defensive end for GB made such a contribution even if Pinky and Perky the commentators couldn't get her surname right.
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fr 28 Jun
2019 |  If you become an american football referee in the UK you get paid, get expenses, have a buddy/mentor when starting, there are at least two women refs in East Anglia, and you get called sir (or sometimes ma'am). More info on the BAFRA web site.
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th 7 Feb
2019 | Women's american football gets its own Facebook album. |
su 3 Feb
2019 |  We arrived yesterday in Thorpe St Andrew in time for the lunch break (impressive catering) to be told it had tried to snow earlier but thankfully the rain had held off. Women's american football team Iceni Spears were hosting the Peterborough Royals and Essex Hellcats for joint training followed by a seven a side tournament. In the event there weren't enough players to make two seven sides so empty slots were filled by coaches and as one player observed We've learnt more this afternoon than we would from three practices.
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mo 21 Jan
2019 |  We found French director Céline Sciamma's film Tomboy highly involving and rewarding not least because it made the Parisian suburbs look idyllic. So very gratifying to find a sealed copy of her later film Girlhood in the Framlingham EACH chazza. Here the banlieue is relentlessly gritty and though Vic essentially remains trapped in her situation the opening sequence is women's american football from team Les Molosses.
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mo 10 Oct
2018
|  Some changes at the Iceni Spears in Norwich; Vicki Ware is training with the GB national team and Craig Thompson is the new head coach moonlighting from Norwich Devils' offensive coordinator. Last weekend on a surprisingly pleasant Sunday after a filthy Saturday the Spears were training in Thorpe St Andrew followed by classroom work on the play book. New no contact flag and contact players plus total newbies always welcome.
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tu 27 Feb
2018 |  Women's american football in Peterborough Saturday was five a side but with multiple substitution hosts the Peterborough Royals with eight players and the Staffordshire Saxons with just six had a difficult job. The rules are pretty much those for flag football but with contact from kitted players, we were soon understanding and enjoying play.
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su 4 Feb
2018 |  Despite the cold and some snow the Iceni Spears womens american football had turned out in Thorpe St Mary for training. Some new faces and much hilarity during tackle practice because it's not easy to get up from squashy crash mats plus the pergola tried to blow away. This year the Spears aren't competing in either league contact or flag so as to develop their newer players but will be playing some friendlies in the spring.
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fr 2 Feb
2018 |  Sunday's going to be busy: take stuff back to B&Q in Norwich, american football Iceni Spears Open Day followed by UEA Pirates v Cambridge Pythons, and then the roller derby world cup final streamed at the Beeb.
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fr 8 Sep
2017 |  Sunday in Thorpe St Andrew Norwich the Iceni Spears were flag training. We were pleased to see new faces including a Norwich Devils coach moonlighting. He told us the Devils are 4-0 on the season and pretty much guaranteed to join the league next year. Visiting web site Brit Blitz joined in the training and a mixed ten minute each way game to finish the morning.
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we 24 May
2017 | After three years of watching UK gridiron we've finally realised it's college rules not NFL ... thought some of those decisions were a bit odd. |
mo 24 Apr
2017 |  Sunday near Norwich the Iceni Spears were training for the autumn's Opal flag football series. Flag football is no (hopefully) contact American football where you're tackled if an opponent can grab a flag from your waist. The flags can be just football socks tucked into your waistband or like the Spears yellow streamers held in place by plastic poppers. The Spears have an everybody welcome flag rookie day next month.
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mo 6 Mar
2017 |  Yesterday near Norwich we watched Iceni Spears women's American football walk through some plays in the changing room and then go outside to practice in icy rain ... that's commitment. The season long Sapphire series for women is five or seven a side. We couldn't imagine how a sport that normally has eleven (twelve in Canada) on the pitch players per team could work with five but watching the Spears routine a play we saw that with just five everybody really has to know what they should be doing. Looking forward to seeing these impressive ladies compete this coming weekend in Peterborough.
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