National American Football Championship of Romania
| Founded | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Country | Romania |
| Number of clubs | 6 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Current champions | Bucharest Rebels |
| Most championships | Bucharest Rebels (8 titles) |
The National American Football Championship of Romania (CNFA) (Romanian: Campionatul Național de Fotbal American) is the elite league for American football in Romania. It was formed in 2010. Playing rules[1] are based on those of the International Federation of American Football. Each end of season culminates with the championship game, known as the Romanian Bowl or RoBowl. The championship is currently organised by the League of American Football Teams in Romania (Romanian: LEFA - Liga Echipelor de Fotbal American din România).[2]
The popularity of American football in Romania can also be attributed to the nation's interest in the career of Romanian-born American punter for the New England Patriots of the NFL, Zoltán Meskó.[3]
History
[edit ]The league is played annually, and it follows IFAF rules. A flag championship is also organized every year, to better promote the sport.
The first-ever game in the history of the championship was played on July 24, and it featured the Timişoara Lions and Cluj Crusaders.[4]
On November 21, 2010, in Bucharest, the Bucharest Warriors met the Cluj Crusaders, in the first-ever Romanian Bowl. The home team won the game, 56–12, becoming the first champion of Romania.[5] [6]
Bucharest Warriors retained the CNFA title in 2011, after 14–6 and 15–20 against the same opponent from the previous year, Cluj Crusaders.[7] [8]
Following the withdrawal of the Mures Monsters and the merger of the Timisoara 89ers and Resita Locomotives to form the Banat Team in 2024,[9] the CNFA championship featured only four participating teams. The regular season followed a single round-robin format, with the Banat Team finishing at the top of the standings with three wins and a net point difference of +94 (124 points for, 30 points against).
RoBowl XIV was hosted by the Banat Team at the artificial turf field of Stadionul Mircea Chivu in Reșița. However, they were defeated by the Bucharest Rebels, who secured their fifth consecutive national championship title.[10]
In 2024, the six remaining teams agreed to shift the championship schedule back to a spring and summer format, beginning with the 2025 CNFA season. The competition will take place between March and June.
For the 2025 season of the National American Football Championship of Romania (CNFA), four teams have registered: defending champions Bucharest Rebels, Cluj Crusaders, Mures Monsters, and Timisoara 89ers. The season will follow a double round-robin format, where each team will play every other team twice, once at home and once away. At the conclusion of the regular season, the top-ranked team will qualify directly for RoBowl XV, the national championship game. The second and third-placed teams will compete in a playoff game, hosted by the second-ranked team, to determine the finalist that will face the top seed in the championship match. The 2025 season sees the withdrawal of Reșița Locomotives and Bucharest Titans, reducing the number of participating teams to four.
Teams
[edit ]Romanian Bowl
[edit ]The Romanian Bowl is the championship game of the National American Football Championship of Romania (CNFA), the Romanian equivalent of the NFL's Super Bowl. The Bucharest Rebels are the current titleholders, having won the championship for five consecutive years.
| # | Year | Winning Team | Losing Team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 2010 | Bucharest Warriors | Cluj Crusaders | 56–12 |
| II | 2011 | Bucharest Warriors | Cluj Crusaders | 14–6 & 15–20 |
| III | 2012 | Cluj Crusaders | Bucharest Rebels | 20–7 |
| IV | 2013 | Cluj Crusaders | Timișoara 89ers | 14–8 |
| V | 2014 | Bucharest Rebels | Timișoara 89ers | 18–12 |
| VI | 2015 | Bucharest Rebels | Cluj Crusaders | 2–0 |
| VII | 2016 | Bucharest Rebels | Cluj Crusaders | 46–18 |
| VIII | 2017 | Cluj Crusaders | Bucharest Warriors | 17–12 |
| IX | 2018 | Cluj Crusaders | Bucharest Rebels | 10–0 |
| X | June 15, 2019 | Bucharest Rebels | Timișoara 89ers | 34–14 |
| XI | November 27, 2021 | Bucharest Rebels | Mures Monsters | 40-30 |
| XII | December 4, 2022 | Bucharest Rebels | Mures Monsters | 48-28 |
| XIII | November 25, 2023 | Bucharest Rebels | Resita Locomotives | 34-28 |
| XIV | November 23, 2024 | Bucharest Rebels | Banat Team | 48-19 |
See also
[edit ]- Romanian American Football Federation
- Romania national American football team
- Official site Archived 2015年01月12日 at the Wayback Machine
References
[edit ]- ^ "IFAF Playing Rules". IFAF Rules Committee. 2023. Retrieved 2025年02月03日.
- ^ "LEFA - Liga Echipelor de Fotbal American din România". LEFA - Liga Echipelor de Fotbal American din România. 2025. Retrieved 2025年02月03日.
- ^ "New England Patriots Punter Zoltan Mesko's Long Journey From War To Glory". thepostgame.com. 2012. Retrieved 2012年04月11日.
- ^ "Primul meci de fotbal american la Timişoara". agenda.ro. 2010. Archived from the original on 2010年07月24日. Retrieved 2010年07月20日.
- ^ "cnfa2010 bucharest warriors vs cluj crusaders stats" (PDF). warriors.ro. 2010. Retrieved 2012年04月11日.[permanent dead link ]
- ^ "Warriors a castigat primul campionat de fotbal american din Romania". gsp.ro. 2010. Retrieved 2010年11月22日.
- ^ "Cluj Crusaders @ Bucharest Warriors". dacians.ro. 2011. Archived from the original on 2012年06月03日. Retrieved 2012年04月11日.
- ^ "Bucharest Warriors, câștigătorii RO-BOWL II". dacians.ro. 2011. Archived from the original on 2012年06月03日. Retrieved 2012年04月11日.
- ^ "Reșița Locomotives și Timișoara 89ers vor participa împreună în Campionatul Național". caon.ro. 2024. Retrieved 2025年02月03日.
- ^ "Titlul merge tot in capitala. Banat Team invinsa clar in RoBowl de Rebels". opiniatimisoarei.ro. 2024. Retrieved 2025年02月03日.