Pupils at Dame Allan’s Junior School are heading to the national flag football finals in Manchester this month after being crowned North East regional champions.
The squad has achieved remarkable success in the fast-growing, non-contact version of American football, a sport confirmed to make its official debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Competing as the ‘Dame Allan’s Chiefs’ in official, NFL UK-backed kit, the 10-strong mixed squad of Year 5 and 6 pupils secured their coveted spot at the national finals on June 17 following a stellar run across three qualifying tournaments.
Team member Lucas T, in Year 6, said: “I have really enjoyed getting to play flag football. It felt so good when we won the regionals, and I am looking forward to the national finals.”
Flag football swaps the heavy tackling of traditional American football for standard flag belts, creating a fast-paced, highly tactical game centred on speed, positioning, and quick decision-making. Played five-a-side, teams have four ‘downs’ (plays) to reach the halfway line, and a further four attempts to score a touchdown.
The sport was introduced at Dame Allan’s last year by Graduate Sports Assistant Adam Lambert and has quickly established itself within the Junior School’s co-curricular programme.
“We initially trialled it in PE, and the children absolutely loved it,” said Mr Lambert. “We now run a dedicated co-curricular club for Years 5 and 6, and the commitment from the pupils has been incredible. Getting to the national finals is a huge achievement for them. They’ve worked incredibly hard and completely bought into the sport.”
Tournament rules require mixed squads, with boys and girls playing together on the field.
“It works brilliantly as a mixed sport because everybody contributes in different ways,” Mr Lambert added. “On the pitch, they operate as a single, cohesive unit. It’s entirely about tactical thinking and teamwork.”
A key feature of the sport has been the creative freedom given to pupils to shape how they play.
“They design their own running lines, name their unique plays, and build their own strategies,” Mr Lambert explained. “We’ve now got a playbook of about six distinct plays that they have created and successfully deployed in tournaments. It gives them real ownership and accountability over how they play.”
Squad player Izzy W, in Year 5, added: “I love being a part of the defence and pulling the opposition flags to help my team.”
The buzz surrounding the ‘Chiefs’ has sparked interest across the wider school.
“I’ve already got boys and girls in Years 3 and 4 asking when they can play,” said Mr Lambert. “We’re currently looking into introducing smaller ‘peewee’ balls for the younger pupils so they can handle the ball properly. We definitely want to grow the programme further.”
At the upcoming Manchester finals, the Dame Allan’s squad, competing in Kansas City Chiefs jerseys, will face off against regional winners from across the UK. The tournament champions will earn the opportunity to represent the UK on the international stage in the United States, competing against schools from all over the world.
