Great Britain U19 National American Football Team: A Historical Overview (1989–2024)

🏈 Origins as the “Crusaders” (1989–1999)

The Great Britain U19 national team began its international journey in 1989 under the name Crusaders. Their earliest fixtures, such as those against Milwaukee (USA), showcased the team’s ambition to compete at a high international level. Though many of these early games ended in defeat, the experience gained was invaluable for the program’s long-term development.

Key highlights during the Crusaders era include:

  • A dominant 42–12 win over Milwaukee in 1991.
  • Close-fought European Junior Championship (EJC) contests in Berlin, 1994, where the team registered a draw with Austria and a win over Denmark.
  • The team competed regularly in both the Trans-Atlantic Challenge events and European tournaments, facing the best of Europe and North America.

Despite facing powerful opposition and experiencing more losses than wins, the Crusaders laid the foundation for what would become a more competitive and structured national program.

Rebirth as the “Lions” (2000–Present)

In 2000, the team rebranded as the Great Britain Lions, marking a new era of identity and ambition. The name change coincided with renewed participation in the EJC and EJCQ competitions.

2000s: Growth and Testing

Under head coach Simon Newnham, the Lions faced tough competition in European tournaments:

  • They recorded a massive 40–0 win over Holland in 2000.
  • However, this decade was marked by heavy losses to elite teams like Germany, France, and Finland, demonstrating the gap between Britain and the continental powerhouses at the time.

2010s: Mixed Success and Promising Signs

The Lions saw significant fluctuations in performance:

  • Under Steve Rains, the team had notable wins such as:
    • 42–2 against Poland (2009)
    • 18–0 against Czech Republic (2010)
  • Damien Anderson guided the team to a 35–14 win over Italy in 2012 and a narrow loss to Serbia, reflecting growing competitiveness.
  • The latter part of the decade saw difficult defeats to France, Norway, and Holland, indicating ongoing challenges at the elite European level.

2020s: Modernization and Recovery

Under current head coach Scott Rowe, the Lions appear to be gaining momentum:

  • In 2022, they achieved a solid 28–14 win over Spain in the EJC.
  • A competitive draw with Paderborn Dolphins (2024) and a 35–8 victory over the Irish Wolfhounds (2024) suggest renewed strength and depth in the squad.
  • Despite a heavy 0–34 loss to Italy in 2023, the team’s development trajectory under Rowe is positive.

Known results

DateWhereGame LocationEventTeamAScoreAScoreBTeamBW/LHead Coach
04-Nov-1989UKDerbyTA ChallengeCrusaders8.028.0MilwaukeeLBill Hartley
30-Oct-1990USAMilwaukeeTA ChallengeCrusaders0.028.0MilwaukeeLNorm Killion
01-Sep-1991UKLakenheathFriendlyCrusaders38.09.0LakenheathWGary Marshall
10-Nov-1991UKDerbyTA ChallengeCrusaders42.012.0MilwaukeeWGary Marshall
14-Jun-1992USAMilwaukeeTA ChallengeCrusaders11.028.0MilwaukeeLGary Marshall
01-Sep-1992FranceToulonEJCCrusaders6.07.0FranceL
05-Sep-1992FranceToulonEJCCrusaders0.040.0ItalyL
07-Nov-1993UKLeicesterTA ChallengeCrusaders0.024.0MilwaukeeL
04-Aug-1994GermanyBerlinEJCCrusaders6.06.0AustriaT
06-Aug-1994GermanyBerlinEJCCrusaders13.012.0DenmarkW
10-Aug-1994GermanyBerlinEJCCrusaders28.044.0FranceL
12-Aug-1994GermanyBerlinEJCCrusaders20.00.0AustriaW
02-Nov-1995USAMilwaukeeTA ChallengeCrusadersNaNNaNMilwaukeeL
14-Apr-1996UKWhite Hart LaneEJCQCrusaders23.028.0SwitzerlandL
16-Jun-1996UKCrystal PalaceFriendlyCrusaders14.057.0Mount St JosephsLJim Messenger
02-Nov-1996UKLondonFriendlyCrusaders12.042.0Team USALGraham Thorpe
31-May-1998UKLondonEJCQCrusaders54.00.0NorwayWGraham Jessett
04-Aug-1998GermanyDussledorfEJCCrusaders0.052.0FranceLGraham Jessett
06-Aug-1998GermanyWuppertalEJCCrusaders7.049.0FinlandLGraham Jessett
09-Aug-1998GermanyDussledorfEJCCrusaders0.018.0SwitzerlandLGraham Jessett
06-May-2000UKLeicesterEJCQLions40.00.0HollandWSimon Newnham
30-Jul-2000GermanyBerlinEJCLions7.053.0GermanyLSimon Newnham
01-Aug-2000GermanyBerlinEJCLions0.031.0FinlandLSimon Newnham
05-Aug-2000GermanyBerlinEJCLions27.032.0FranceLSimon Newnham
29-Jul-2002UKCumbernauldEJCLions14.021.0FranceLSimon Newnham
01-Aug-2002UKCumbernauldEJCLions6.034.0GermanyLSimon Newnham
03-Aug-2002UKCumbernauldEJCLions26.029.0CzechLSimon Newnham
17-Nov-2003HollandFriendlyLions0.017.0HollandLSimon Newnham
30-Oct-2004UKLondonFriendlyLions13.040.0GermanyLSimon Newnham
31-Oct-2009PolandGdanskFriendlyLions42.02.0PolandWSteve Rains
05-Dec-2009UKFiltonFriendlyLions6.08.0FiltonLSteve Rains
29-May-2010HollandUtrechtEJCQLions18.013.0HollandWSteve Rains
20-Aug-2010SerbiaKragujavacEJCQLions12.013.0SerbiaLSteve Rains
22-Aug-2010SerbiaKragujavacEJCQLions18.00.0CzechWSteve Rains
07-Sep-2012ItalyRomeEJCQLions3.031.0SerbiaLDamien Anderson
09-Oct-2012ItalyRomeEJCQLions35.014.0ItalyWDamien Anderson
26-Oct-2013UKGatesheadFriendlyLions28.014.0HollandWDamien Anderson
11-Apr-2015UKFiltonEJCQLions15.021.0FinlandWDamien Anderson
06-May-2015DenmarkVejleEJCQLions21.00.0RussiaLDamien Anderson
08-May-2015DenmarkVejleEJCQLions19.031.0DenmarkLDamien Anderson
17-Nov-2018HollandArnhemFriendlyLions6.029.0HollandLJason Henry
23-Feb-2019FranceArmiensFriendlyLions7.060.0FranceLNeil McMasters
30-Mar-2019UKLeedsEJCQLions12.030.0NorwayLNeil McMasters
06-Jul-2022ItalyBolognaEJCLions11.022.0FinlandLScott Rowe
09-Jul-2022ItalyBolognaEJCLions28.014.0SpainWScott Rowe
01-Apr-2023ItalyMilanEJCLions0.034.0ItalyLScott Rowe
01-Mar-2024GermanyPaderbornFriendlyLions16.016.0Paderborn DolphinsTScott Rowe
24-Aug-2024IrelandDublinFriendlyLions35.08.0Irish WolfhoundsWScott Rowe