Russian American Football Championship Explained

League of American Football
Formerly:Russian Championship
Sport:American football
Founded:1991 / 2002 / 2016
Teams:6
Country:Russia
Champion:Moscow Patriots
Most Champs:Moscow Patriots (15 titles)
Tv:LAF Network

Russian American Football Championship (Russian: Чемпионат России по Aмериканскому Футболу|Chempionat Rossii po Amerikanskomu Futbolu) is the highest level of American football played in Russia originally founded in 1991, previously known as the League of American Football (LAF; Russian: '''Лига Американского Футбола'''|Liga Amerikanskogo Futbola, ЛАФ).

There are 11 teams in two divisions participating in the league.[1] Since 2020 season the Eastern European Super League serves as the highest league of American football in Russia.

History

American football came into the Soviet Union in late 1980s. The first official games were played in 1989 when American high school all-star teams from Oklahoma played exhibition games against local teams, following a failed attempt to have college football bowl game be played in Moscow (known as the Glasnost Bowl). In the same year the very first game between Russian teams was played.[2]

In 1989, the Moscow Bears were first formed team and represented the Russia national American football team. In 1991, the Soviet Championship was founded and the league became the Russian Championship in 1992 as the Soviet Union collapsed. However the league was soon suspended in the turmoils of the dissolution of the USSR. The Moscow Bears national team was reformed later in 1992 and Russian Football Championship league later re-organized.

The Russian Championship was founded again in 2002. The league has been growing ever since.

In 2016 it was reorganized as The League of American Football, LAF in short. But in 2019 the league was re-organized as Russian Championship.

Since 2020 season the Eastern European Super League serves as the highest league of American football in Russia.

List of champions

YearChampionRunner-up3rd Place
1991
(USSR
Championship)
Moscow BearsMoscow SwansKharkov Atlants
Aktau Caspian Sphinxes
1992Moscow BearsKrasnoyarsk Siberian Devils
1993Moscow BearsKrasnoyarsk Siberian DevilsMoscow Eagles
1994
2002[3] Moscow PatriotsMoscow Bruins
2003[4] Moscow PatriotsMoscow Bruins
2004[5] Moscow PatriotsMoscow BruinsMoscow Tanks — Astrakhan Gladiators
2005Moscow Patriots
2006[6] Moscow PatriotsMoscow Black StormMoscow Tanks
2007[7] Moscow PatriotsMoscow Tanks
2008Moscow PatriotsMoscow Tanks
2009Moscow Patriots
2010Moscow PatriotsMoscow Red Falcons
2011Moscow PatriotsMoscow United
2012Moscow PatriotsChelyabinsk Scouts
2013Moscow Black StormSaint Petersburg Griffins
2014Moscow PatriotsAstrakhan Gladiators
2015[8] Saint Petersburg Griffins
2016
2017
2018
2019Perm Steel Tigers
2020Moscow Dragons
2021Spartak Moscow

Notes and References

  1. Ilya Kravtsov: Kaliningrad to Vladivostok: Season In Review American Football International
  2. Ilya Kravtsov: Hockey Pads to the FAFR: The History of American Football in Russia American Football International
  3. Web site: АМЕРИКАНСКИЙ ФУТБОЛ• МОСКВА. Чемпионат России. Финал• Московские медведи - Московские патриоты - 14:33• NFL. 4-я неделя. www.sport-express.ru. 17 March 2019.
  4. Web site: АМЕРИКАНСКИЙ ФУТБОЛ• Чемпионат России. Финал• Московские Патриоты - Московские Медведи - 32:7• NFL. Регулярный чемпионат• 7-я игровая неделя. www.sport-express.ru. 17 March 2019.
  5. Web site: АМЕРИКАНСКИЙ ФУТБОЛ• Чемпионат России. Финал. www.sport-express.ru. 17 March 2019.
  6. Web site: АМЕРИКАНСКИЙ ФУТБОЛ• МОСКВА. Чемпионат России. www.sport-express.ru. 17 March 2019.
  7. Web site: АМЕРИКАНСКИЙ ФУТБОЛ• Чемпионат России. Финал. www.sport-express.ru. 17 March 2019.
  8. Web site: Советский спорт - новости футбол, хоккей, биатлон и другие виды спорта. Советский спорт. 17 March 2019.