Flag Nationals return to Halifax in 2016

Tournament moves to spring & adds U20 division

Football Canada announces Halifax, Nova Scotia as the host site of the 2016 Flag Football National Championships, set to take place May 18-23 at Dalhousie University. The event hosted by Football Nova Scotia will feature provincial teams from across Canada which will be announced at a later date.

The flag nationals were established in 2007 and return to Halifax after serving as the province’s last host site in 2011.

The upcoming tournament marks two notable changes as the event moves from the end of summer to a new time in the spring as well as creation of an under-20 division.

For the first time in 2016, the flag nationals will feature an under-20 division male and female division which builds on previously established under-16 and under-18 divisions. The U16 and U18 male and female divisions were established in 2011, in accordance with the growth of flag football and the development of Football Canada’s Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model. The U20 division was added to build on the continued growth of flag football and in accordance with the LTAD, provides an additional high performance pathway to support progression towards international competition.

In preparation for the 2016 IFAF Flag Football World Championships, details regarding a senior men’s and women’s tournament will be announced in the coming weeks.

Quotes:

“We are pleased and extremely excited to again host the Flag Football National Championships in Nova Scotia. Flag football is an exciting, fast-paced sport played by both men and women at all age levels and has been our biggest growth area in terms of participation since last hosting the tournament in 2011.  We are fortunate in Nova Scotia to have some of the top flag football organizers and players in our country and look forward to hosting the rest of Canada in 2016. It will be a great event!”

– Keith Skiffington

President, Football Nova Scotia

“Football Nova Scotia is proud to be the 2016 [flag nationals] host province.  Our flag game has significantly grown since we last hosted the national tournament in 2011. Football Nova Scotia has been training coaches and officials to match the increasing levels of player participation across all age groupings. Flag is taking over in our junior high schools and the interests in flag in our older populations continues to blossom. Men’s and women’s flag in Canada is among the best in the world (IFAF).  Personally being a part of the last three national teams competing in Sweden [2014], Italy [2012] and playing on our home soil in our Nation’s Capital [2010] has been a fantastic experience. Flag is alive and well in Nova Scotia and we look forward to sharing our little piece of heaven here in Halifax with the rest of Canada this coming May.”

– Jason Warren

Technical Director, Football Nova Scotia

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